What is E. Allen Lightner?
[[File:E. Allan Lightner, Jr.jpg|alt=Portrait of E. Allan Lightner (1907-1990)|Portrait of E. Allan Lightner (1907-1990)|thumb|414x414px]] '''Edwin Allan Lightner''' (December 7, 1907 - September 15, 1990) was a [[Embassy of the United States, Berlin|US embassy]] official and employee of the [[United States Department of State]]. He served as [[Ambassador to Libya]] from 1963 to 1965. In 1961 while serving as assistant chief of the U.S. Mission in Berlin, Lightner was detained twice by [[Border Troops of the German Democratic Republic|East German border guards]] in October 1961 when he crossed into [[East Berlin]] to underscore the United States' determination to have unrestricted access to all [[Allied-occupied Germany|occupation zones in Berlin]]. He also participated in the Berlin exchange of [[Francis Gary Powers]], the American [[Lockheed U-2|U-2]] pilot [[U-2 Incident (1960)|shot down during a reconnaissance flight over the Soviet Union in 1960]]. == Early life == Lightner was born on December 7, 1907, in [[New York City|New York City, New York]] and graduated from [[Princeton University]] in 1930. == Working for the State Department == In 1930, Lightner joined the [[United States Department of State]]. He was primarily active overseas, visiting a total of 18 countries in [[Latin America]], [[Europe]], [[Africa]], and [[Asia]] until his retirement in 1970. He became Assistant Director for the Central European Division from 1945 to 1947; Deputy Director of the Central European Division from 1947 to 1948; Deputy Political Director for the High Commission in [[Frankfurt]] from 1949 to 1951. He then became charge d'affaires of the [[Embassy of the United States. Seoul|U.S. Embassy in South Korea]] (March 1, 1951 to February 1953), Consul General in [[Munich]] from 1953 to 1956, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs from May 14, 1956 to June 1959. Lightner also became assistant chief of the U.S. Mission in [[West Berlin]] from 1960 to May 1963. While stationed in Berlin, he witnessed the