US diplomat Richard Holbrooke, died last night at the age of 69.President Obama called Holbrook a "true giant of American Foreign Policy". He served as the Presidents special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan and his career spanned decades, working with every Democratic President since John F. Kennedy. In Dayton, he is best remembered as the architect of the Dayton Peace Accords.
"It's a loss for the country, it's loss of Dayton. We loved him and he loved us right back," says Dayton City Commissioner Matt Joseph.
Joseph says Holbrooke's work on the accords was groundbreaking. He says not many wars in the course of the history are resolved in conversation, and that his approach is being studied as model on how to end conflict in different parts of the world.
"We are all here to make things better for our fellow humans and our sons or daughters. He can truthfully say that he saved thousands of lives. Maybe tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of lives," says Joseph.
Joseph says the city is in the process of planning a tribute to him.
Holbrooke died Monday night after undergoing surgery to repair a tear in his aorta.