“Honesty and integrity were synonymous with Jimmy Carter. “His legacy will endure throughout the ages.”
At the state funeral for former U.S. President Jimmy Carter held on the 9th (local time), former President Carter’s predecessor, one-time political opponent, and close friend after leaving office, former President Gerald Ford (1913-2006) wrote during his lifetime. A memorial service appeared.
The person who read the memorial address on this day was former President Ford’s son, Stephen (69). Stephen revealed that after his father passed away, he received a memorial note left by his father from an employee who cared for him.
Former President Ford emphasized, “Carter and I had shared values, so we were able to respect each other both when we were enemies and when we became friends.” He also said, “I am looking forward to our reunion (in heaven). There’s a lot to talk about. “Welcome home, old friend,” he wrote. Stephen seemed to get choked up for a moment as he read this part.
The two men, who competed as Democratic and Republican presidential candidates respectively in the 1976 presidential election, strongly criticized each other at the time. However, after former President Carter left office, they became ‘best friends’ as they worked together on various public interest activities, including election reform.
The two promised to prepare a memorial address for the other while he was still alive. Accordingly, former President Carter also mourned at former President Ford’s funeral, saying, “The strong friendship that bound us is a great blessing we have enjoyed.” Former President Carter’s wife, Rosalynn, also read a eulogy at the funeral of former President Ford’s wife, Betty, in 2011.
The friendship between two former presidents of different political parties is evaluated as showing what a relationship that transcends party affiliation is in an American society suffering from extreme division. The New York Times diagnosed, “The unlikely bond between the two is rare in U.S. presidential history,” and “it is unimaginable in today’s polarized U.S. political environment.”
Reporter Kim Bora [email protected]
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