A young diplomat from River Forest was among five Americans killed Saturday during a car bomb blast in Afghanistan, her family said.
Anne Smedinghoff was 25, said her father Tom Smedinghoff, who was reached by phone.
“She was doing what she loved and she was doing great things,’’ her father said. “We’re just in total shock.’’
Mr. Smedinghoff said Secretary of State John Kerry called him Saturday morning to let him to let him know what happened to his daughter.
Kerry extended his prayers and condolences and remembered Anne because the two met recently when Kerry went to the Middle East about a week or two ago.
“She was one of the people who was helping to coordinate his visit, she got to meet him. He spoke glowingly of the work she’s been doing,’’ said her father of Kerry’s comments about his daughter, who the Washington Post said was the first U.S. diplomat to be killed in Afghanistan.
She was killed along with three U.S. soldiers and a civilian employee of the Defense Department, Kerry said in a statement. They were in a convoy of vehicles in Zabul province when the blast occurred, Kerry said.
“He spoke very highly of her. It was very good to hear,’’ her father said.
Mr. Smedinghoff said Anne went into the Foreign Service right out of college. Her first post was in Venezuela and she volunteered to go to Afghanistan where she’d been since last July.
As a diplomat, she was working in the public diplomacy department. She was working with the local population, helping women, working for equality for women, and working with school and local businesses there. Anne simply adored her work, her father said.
“She was living in a compound that was heavily fortified and she was always trying to get out and do things for the population.’’
Mr. Smedinghoff said he only knew a few details of the last moments of her life.
“She was in a convoy … somebody with a car or a truck laden with explosives rammed into her vehicle or somebody close and detonated and killed everybody,’’ Mr. Smedinghoff said.
Anne grew up in River Forest and had one brother and two younger sisters, his father said.
She came home for a Christmas holiday visit, and her father said he last spoke with her on Easter Sunday.
“She sounded so upbeat and so positive and so excited about all the work she’d been doing,’’ he said. “She was telling us about Kerry’s visit.’’
Growing up in River Forest, she was always a “very self confident and very intelligent young woman.”
Anne had a “passion for the work she was doing,’’ said her father.
“She really felt she was making a difference.’’
The family also issued the following statement about the tragedy, in an email.
Anne Smedinghoff was 25, said her father Tom Smedinghoff, who was reached by phone.
“She was doing what she loved and she was doing great things,’’ her father said. “We’re just in total shock.’’
Mr. Smedinghoff said Secretary of State John Kerry called him Saturday morning to let him to let him know what happened to his daughter.
Kerry extended his prayers and condolences and remembered Anne because the two met recently when Kerry went to the Middle East about a week or two ago.
“She was one of the people who was helping to coordinate his visit, she got to meet him. He spoke glowingly of the work she’s been doing,’’ said her father of Kerry’s comments about his daughter, who the Washington Post said was the first U.S. diplomat to be killed in Afghanistan.
She was killed along with three U.S. soldiers and a civilian employee of the Defense Department, Kerry said in a statement. They were in a convoy of vehicles in Zabul province when the blast occurred, Kerry said.
“He spoke very highly of her. It was very good to hear,’’ her father said.
Mr. Smedinghoff said Anne went into the Foreign Service right out of college. Her first post was in Venezuela and she volunteered to go to Afghanistan where she’d been since last July.
As a diplomat, she was working in the public diplomacy department. She was working with the local population, helping women, working for equality for women, and working with school and local businesses there. Anne simply adored her work, her father said.
“She was living in a compound that was heavily fortified and she was always trying to get out and do things for the population.’’
Mr. Smedinghoff said he only knew a few details of the last moments of her life.
“She was in a convoy … somebody with a car or a truck laden with explosives rammed into her vehicle or somebody close and detonated and killed everybody,’’ Mr. Smedinghoff said.
Anne grew up in River Forest and had one brother and two younger sisters, his father said.
She came home for a Christmas holiday visit, and her father said he last spoke with her on Easter Sunday.
“She sounded so upbeat and so positive and so excited about all the work she’d been doing,’’ he said. “She was telling us about Kerry’s visit.’’
Growing up in River Forest, she was always a “very self confident and very intelligent young woman.”
Anne had a “passion for the work she was doing,’’ said her father.
“She really felt she was making a difference.’’
The family also issued the following statement about the tragedy, in an email.