As the nation remembers former President Jimmy Carter during his funeral today, local Navy vets reflected on Carter’s life in service. Carter, who died Dec. 29 at 100 years old, began his career by graduating from the US Naval Academy and serving at sea.
Veterans at the Navy & Marine Club in Lockport said they have respect for anyone who steps into the Oval Office. Speaking outside of politics, the men recognized Carter as a man of the people, whose service in Habitat for Humanity was remarkable.
“He wasn’t a real politician, which was good,” said William Ward, senior executive officer for the club. Ward served on the destroyer, the USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee, during Vietnam. The ship was named in honor of a pioneering Navy nurse.
“He was a small-town guy and had great intentions,” added veteran Mike Reed of Olcott.
Reed, who served on submarines in the North Atlantic, said he had special appreciation for Carter’s service with submarines. After serving on experimental gunnery ships, Carter applied for a submarine assignment. On the submarine SSK-1, Carter served as executive officer, engineering officer, and electronics repair officer. He served in both the Atlantic and Pacific fleets, attaining the rank of lieutenant.
Carter was interested in the emerging technology of nuclear propulsion and eventually joined the Navy’s nuclear program under Admiral Hyman Rickover, where he developed nuclear reactors. He was assigned to Schenectady, where he did graduate studies at Union College in reactor technology and nuclear physics.
“He wasn’t a dummy,” Reed said of Carter.
North Tonawanda Navy veteran Denise Kaiser said the navy is always proud of its own. Kaiser served in the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Washington.
“I think that presidents should be former military,” she said. “They bring that experience. If you went through it, you have a better perspective.”
Reed felt that business experience is more important for modern presidents, rather than military service.
The Navy & Marine Club will consider how to honor Jimmy Carter at its next meeting, Ward said. The club welcomes new members from the Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marines, and offers social memberships. For more information, call 433-2457.