WASHINGTON D.C. — The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) salutes the life of the 39th president of the United States James Earl “Jimmy” Carter, who passed away Sunday at the age of 100.
Photo cutline: President Jimmy Carter meets with Eric G. Sandstrom, Commander-in-Chief of the VFW, Cooper Halt, Executive Director, and Maxwell Cleland, Administrator of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Sept. 28, 1978. NAID 181603Carter was born and raised in Plains, Georgia. His life of service began in 1943 with his appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1947 and commissioning as an ensign. From 1945 to 1953, Carter served on active duty in various assignments in the Atlantic and Pacific fleets, to include surface duty on the USS Wyoming and USS Mississippi, and as a submarine officer aboard the USS Pomfret and USS K-1. He was honorably discharged from active duty in 1953, achieving the rank of Lieutenant. Carter was awarded the American Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, China Service Medal, and National Defense Service Medal.
Carter entered politics in 1962, campaigning for and winning the 14th district seat in the Georgia State Senate, serving there from 1963 to 1967. Later, Carter ran for and was elected as the 76th Governor of Georgia from 1971 to 1975. Two years later, he ran for and was elected as president of the United States, serving from 1977 to 1981.
Post-presidency, Carter devoted most of his time to humanitarian causes through the Carter Center. For more than 30 years, Carter and his wife led the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project for Habitat for Humanity, a global nonprofit housing organization. According to the nonprofit’s website, Habitat.org, the Carter’s “worked alongside over 108,100 volunteers who have built, renovated or repaired more than 4,447 homes in 14 countries, all while raising awareness of the critical need for affordable housing.”
“The nation lost a devoted humanitarian with the passing of former President Jimmy Carter of the Plains community,” said fellow Georgian native and VFW National Commander Al Lipphardt. “President Carter is to be commended for his military service and remembered for political career, but what truly stands out is his decades long association with Habitat for Humanity. He selflessly gave his time and effort to provide shelter to those less fortunate, touching thousands of lives and setting a stalwart example of faith in practice. On behalf of the more than 1.4 million members of the VFW and its Auxiliary, we salute President Carter’s life of service and send our deepest condolences to his family and friends.”