JANUARY 10, 2025 – James “Jimmy” Earl Carter, Jr., the 39th President of the United States, passed away on Dec. 29, 2024 at the age of 100. President Carter leaves a remarkable legacy as a dedicated public servant, influential statesman and champion of global peace, democracy and human rights.
President Carter began his public service career in 1943 when he received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy. He graduated with distinction in 1946 with a degree in engineering. Carter was assigned to the USS Wyoming (E-AG 17) as an ensign. He applied for submarine duty and served as executive officer, engineering officer, and electronics repair officer on the submarine SSK-1. Carter was later chosen to work on the pre-commissioning crew of the USS Seawolf (SSN 575), the second U.S. nuclear submarine. After the passing of his father in 1953, Carter resigned his naval commission and returned with his family to Georgia. He joined the Navy Reserve later that year and served until 1961, leaving with the rank of lieutenant.
His life of public service continued after the Navy when he became Georgia State Senator in 1962, Gov. of Georgia in 1971, and President of the United States from 1977 to 1981.
Visit to Hickam Air Force Base
On July 1, 1979, President Carter spoke at the Officer’s Club of Hickam Air Force Base (now Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam). His remarks reflected his optimism, concern for the environmental welfare of the nation and Hawaii in the face of energy woes, and his faith in the resilience of the American people.
“We have very serious problems with energy. We decided first of all to set rigid targets on imports, to cut down on the unwarranted control of our lives by the OPEC nations. Since December, the OPEC countries have increased the price of oil an average of more than 60 percent, from $12.50 per barrel back in December to as high as $22 a barrel now.
We have got to take action. We can take action. Our country is strong enough to take action to make us energy independent in the future. And all of our nations bound ourselves together to cut down on imports, to remove the unwarranted increases in price resulting from the distribution system, and to commit ourselves individually and collectively to develop new sources of energy and to develop our own existing sources of energy so that we can rest with assurance that we will take care of our own energy needs in the future.
There is no other place in our country which has best exemplified this than the State of Hawaii. On the Big Island, Hawaii, on Kauai as well, now almost 50 percent of all the energy used comes from biomass, primarily from sugarcane. There’ll be a new ocean temperature energy project that will begin in just 2 or 3 days, the first of any size anywhere, and this is another very great credit to this island.
I talked to [Hawaii Senator] Sparky Matsunaga the last few minutes before we landed. I would like to see the State of Hawaii become completely energy independent by the year 1990. And if all of us continue to work together with the same spirit and dedication which we’ve shown so far, we have an excellent chance to do that.
You have geothermal energy, and obviously from the sugarcane wastes there can be ethanol, methanol made to take care of gasoline replacement.
So, I’m very excited about what has gone on here and what will go on. Photovoltaic cells from solar power directly are another tremendous potential source of power for Hawaii. So, you are really in the forefront of what can be done on a nationwide basis.”
President Carter also spoke about the strength and resilience of the populace and working together to overcome challenges:
“Our country has been blessed, as you know, by God with tremendous human resources and tremendous natural resources. There’s no way for me to look at a welcoming crowd at the airfield or to look on your faces without realizing that Hawaii not only has a great natural beauty but also a great human and political beauty.
Ours is a country of immigrants. It’s a country of refugees. My parents and all of yours, except the native Hawaiians, came here from other countries seeking a better life. It’s the kind of spirit that has bound our Nation together in the past, and it’s the kind of spirit that’s given us strength.
This is the first time in history when our Nation has been substantially inconvenienced without a direct threat to our security, like during a time of war or massive depression. I think Americans can stand it. I think we can weather difficulty. I think we can meet challenges. I think we can answer questions if we live and work together as we have in the past.
It is not easy being President these days. But I feel renewed in my own commitment and strength when I know from history how great a nation we have and, looking on your faces, see what a great nation we have in the future.
Working together, we can meet any difficulty and any challenge. And with your help and with God’s help, we will do it again.
Thank you for coming out to meet me this morning. I love you all. God bless you.”
After leaving office, President Carter continued to be involved in political and social efforts. He received numerous awards including the Presidential Medal of Freedom for the Camp David Accords and his work on international peace, health issues and the environment. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his decades of work as a broker for peace. Many of Carter’s projects were accomplished through the Carter Center, which he founded in 1982 with his wife, Rosalynn Carter, to advance human rights.
The Carters led the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project for Habitat for Humanity for more than 30 years. They worked alongside more than 108,100 volunteers to build, renovate or repair more than 4,447 homes in 14 countries, all while raising awareness of the critical need for affordable housing.
President Carter also taught at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, and authored more than 30 books.
Story by Kyler Hood
Commander Navy Region Hawaii