12/30/2024
MESSAGE FROM THE SECRETARY
Passing of President Jimmy Carter
We are all saddened to learn of the passing of Jimmy Carter, Navy Veteran, Governor of Georgia, and the 39th President of the United States.
Jimmy Carter came from a family with a long tradition of military service. His Georgia lineage stemmed back to ancestors who served in the Revolutionary War through the First World War. As a naval officer, Jimmy Carter deployed on surface ships and diesel-electric submarines before joining the Navy's fledgling nuclear submarine program. He said often that submarine service was his life’s proudest accomplishment, and even went out to sea while President aboard the newly-commissioned nuclear submarine USS Los Angeles. Upon his return to port, Jimmy Carter said, “Well, it shows that any sailor or officer in the Navy can become President.” Later in life he would be honored with the naming of the USS Jimmy Carter, the most advanced submarine in the US fleet today tasked with some of our nation’s most secretive and challenging missions.
As President, Jimmy Carter faced immense responsibility to begin healing the Nation from the wounds of the Vietnam War, both internationally and here at home, including the profound scars of divisiveness brought on by the draft and racial injustice. He was a steadfast supporter of Veterans throughout his time in office, signing a myriad of laws on behalf of Veterans; incentivizing companies to hire over a half million jobless disabled and Vietnam-era Veterans, creating a review process for Veterans to appeal less-than-honorable discharges, granting Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) military Veteran status, launching the VA State Cemetery Grants Program, and more.
Jimmy Carter left an indelible mark on world history. Still, he remained rooted by his community and his faith. He taught Sunday school his entire adult life. He emphasized a selfless and authentic version of his belief focused on caring for the poor, the rejected, and the victims of prejudice and injustice. He carried himself every day guided by these principles. His 77-year marriage to Rosalynn Carter, who passed away late last year, was a story of immense love and partnership. They spent their past four decades together promoting mental health, fighting to end homelessness, and promoting democracy.
On behalf of America’s Veterans and the Department of Veterans Affairs, we pay tribute to the memory of a hardworking, humble servant leader who spent his life serving our country and Veterans—President Jimmy Carter. May we always remember to honor our Veterans as he once said, “not only with special ceremonies… but also by committing ourselves anew to the task of ensuring that the freedoms they helped to preserve and the nation they fought to defend will be safe and secure for future generations.”
DM
