Autobiography - The Galindo Group

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Ram Galindo THE MAKING OF AN AMERICAN Page 226 important long-term toehold in the heart of South America for the Danish dairy industry. In the light of heavy international competition, we pulled a real coup. As I describe in The Mining Country (Chapter 3), by 1972 I was heavily involved in setting up my own tin alloys plant. Serious problems arose when I learned the magnitude of the challenge in marketing my products, which essentially were various types of solder wire and rods. It was through my consulate contacts that my partner, Boris Zorotovic, and I were able to forge Danish alliances, develop the activities and live the adventures associated with this effort. Our Danish partners, though paying lip service to the fairness of socialism, negotiated contracts with the heavy hand of old time European mercantilists. With the support of the Bolivian government agency (ENAF) in charge of the tin smelter, which was also a partner of our new company, they demanded and obtained a 4 % royalty on all gross sales. This royalty was in addition to hefty management fees and of their share of operating profits. Over the years it became a significant income stream for Denmark. Hard currency to pay for its imports is what the Royal Government needed and that is what we gave it. We accomplished this without actually producing or exporting anything out of Denmark. It was a textbook example of what to them was a well-managed idea. My functions as a consul covered other non-commercial activities as well. I gave visas, issued passports, attended functions, entertained visitors, traveled with the Ambassador and occasionally helped stranded travelers. Such was the case of a beautiful, freewheeling Danish girl who was backpacking through Bolivia. In one of her stops in the remote Beni region where the main population was a garrison of soldiers at the Bolivian Navy’s river base, she made friends with some of them and decided to go swimming with them. In a matter of hours all the soldiers at the garrison had sexual intercourse with her. Extremely sore and embarrassed, she caught a plane that flew her back to Cochabamba and found her way to my office. I had never heard of anyone successfully suing the Bolivian armed forces and it appeared that a clever lawyer would make her look as the culprit instead. When she felt better she wisely decided to leave rather than press charges. In preparation for my return to Texas in 1974, at my request the Danish Ambassador in Lima arranged for my father to be named Vice-Consul in my same office. For the next several years he and my brother Chris handled the affairs of the consulate as if they were me. Apparently they did so to the total satisfaction of the Danish Foreign Office. By these actions, my Dad and Chris demonstrated once more their keen sense of family ties. In 1979 Chris also moved back to Texas and in the early 1980s my Dad started spending a lot of time in College Station. Finally, on January 15, 1982, Her Majesty’s government officially closed down the Danish Consulate to Cochabamba, Santa Cruz and the Beni. Autobiography.doc 226 of 239
Ram Galindo THE MAKING OF AN AMERICAN Page 227 Sometime in April 1979, my office in Cochabamba received notification that Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II had decided to induct me as a Knight in the ranks of the Danish Royal Order of the Dannebrog. This was a most pleasant surprise to me. The resolution dated March 23, 1979, indicates that she did so because of “….my most valuable services as Consul for Denmark….” Elated by the news I communicated it to my friends and acquaintances. My local newspaper, The Bryan Daily Eagle, carried a front-page article about it on July 31, 1979. Her Majesty knew, before even I thought of it, how to pay for services with means other than money. She proved my earlier points about the many different rewards drawn out of volunteerism. Although I readily admit that I earned mine with much less sacrifice, my Knight’s medal is now placed next to my ancestor Leon Galindo’s medal, won in the fields of battle, as a memory for my descendants. My son Cid is the next depository for both of them. When I returned to Texas in 1974, I felt the urge to involve myself in public affairs to enlarge my circle of acquaintances and to put my thumb on the heartbeat of the business community. As soon as I brought my personal plans to a point where I knew the source of my family’s next meal, I began to look for ways to get involved in local affairs. My children’s activities provided the first opportunity for volunteer service. Following my love of water, all three of them became involved in competitive swimming. We had a parents group responsible for coaching, scheduling meets, training and travel. This is where I met my good friends Vaughn and Carol Bryant, who wound up helping me with the Brazos County Municipal District that I discuss in Texas Real Estate (Chapter 3). I was equally involved with my kid’s gymnastics team. Unfortunately, when they were involved in ballet, Girl Scouts and Young Life, I could not get as committed due to time constraints. I joined the Bryan-College Station Optimist Club, a service organization similar to Rotarian and Kiwanis clubs. There I began to meet some of my contemporaries in various other walks of life. I also joined the local Chamber of Commerce where I served as Vice President for one and half terms. I served on the board of The Bryan Girls Club, an organization dedicated to improve the lots of under-privileged young ladies of African ancestry. Later I served on the board of the Brazos Valley Rehabilitation Center, where my future wife Susan Scoggins was head of the Speech Therapy department. When displaced Vietnamese refugees began to arrive after our expulsion from their country, I helped sponsor the family of Luong Pham, who had eight children. They set an example of family values, hard work and dedication to duty. All the children except for the two oldest completed a college education, and all are a credit to America. One even became a Catholic priest. The youngest one, Jean Me, born in Texas, is my Goddaughter. We have remained friends for life. ---055--- Autobiography.doc 227 of 239
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Autobiography - The Galindo Group

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