This plaque was given to us in a dinner after closing the station. During the Cold War years, the Pals station had built an excellent  reputation as being the BEST in our business in the world. We had highly maintained equipment, serviced by a highly motivated staff, that consistently delivered unjammable and BELIEVABLE programs into the USSR and its many satellites. IBB/BBG/VOA knew this. They also knew that stations operated by IBB/VOA before we were placed under them were far less effective in BOTH signal and program content to the same target areas. In my opinion, IBB making a presentation of this plaque to the station and staff was inappropriate and insulting because it was BBG/IBB who did everything in their power to close the station. No person, not one, in IBB/BBG groups did anything to save the station simply because a jealousy existed towards successes the Pals radio station had achieved during the Cold War as the MOST effective station in Uncle Sam's broadcasting inventory, far more than any VOA station had. So it was the VOA people within BBG/IBB who sought the shutdown of Pals----and sadly they got it!