(Author’s Note: In the title I refer to Air Force Flight 39. The proper call sign is Special Mission 39) People need to be reminded that the Presidential Plane (there are actually two) aren’t “Air Force One. Air Force One is a ‘call sign’ for any fixed wing aircraft a sitting President is flying on. Even if it’s a two seat Cessna. Or if a President is a pilot and wants to fly their Ultra-Light – not that the Secret Service would ever let that happen. Soon a plane from the Presidential fleet will take off with Jimmy Carter in his casket down in the hold, and his family and guests aboard for that final flight home to Georgia and his burial next to his wife.
We have had multiple Presidents who graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Although the U.S. Naval Academy has been around almost as long Jimmy Carter is the only graduate to have attained the Presidency. Someday I’m sure the much newer Air Force Academy will see someone from their ranks make it. For now however the Air Force, which operates the fixed wing aircraft of the Presidential fleet still only has gotten to ferry around Presidents who served in other branches. If I’m not mistaken not even someone from the Army Air Corps (the Air Force was part of the Army prior to the Defense reauthorization legislation in the late 1940s) no one from the Air Force has been President.
Still, they’ve been cool about the whole thing and justifiably take pride in how well they do the job. In a little bit they will take off from Joint Base Andrews just over the (Anacostia) river from Washington DC. I’m always moved by seeing that beautiful jet take off and land, especially at Andrews. Today, with all the official public honoring of Carter finished (again, his burial next to Rosalynn within site of the home they lived in) will be private. It was a fitting tribute to Carter in our nation’s Capitol. I for one wish there’d been one addition – as the only Naval Academy Graduate it would have been nice to have Carter taken there one last time, if only a drive through the grounds.
That’s where the Air Force comes in. They can do the next best thing. Air Force Special Mission 39 (the “39” denotes Carter’s Presidency) is the call sign for Carter’s final flight, the one that will take him back home to Georgia. Given the proximity of Washington DC and Annapolis Maryland even if Carter didn’t request it the Air Force COULD if they chose to do so adjust the flight plan to do a fly-by of the Naval Academy over in Annapolis Maryland which is less than fifty miles from Andrews. Even better would be alerting the Superintendent so that the Midshipmen can head outside and to Worden Field, if only in “mob” formation to raise a salute! This broken down old jarhead thinks that would be pretty cool.
Jimmy Carter is headed home to his final resting place. He sure earned the accolades he’s received and will continue to receive but he’s been ready for a while now to rest next to his beloved wife. By this evening that will be so. Carter loved music and several songs have been going through my mind besides the Navy Hymn. So I’m going to end this with three songs I know Carter loved. A serious one, Dvorak’s Going Home sung by the legendary Paul Robeson. Then remembering what Carter’s grandson said during the service today a reminder that the Governor’s Mansion and the White House notwithstanding Plains Georgia was where “PawPaw” and “Mom Carter” spent most of their lives so Georgia on my mind seems like a no-brainer. And one last and definitely lighthearted tune which anyone who knows anything about the Harlem Globetrotters will recognize. Sure Carter was a serious person but he also enjoyed simple things and simple fun. My bet is this evening when the family walks over from the gravesite to the Carter home he’d want them thinking happy thoughts. Something fun and Sweet Georgia Brown would be perfect.
****************************
And now, a special message from our fearless leader, who had made this blog possible:
Friends, I am forced to self-promote and ask you for money. We had a bad year compared with 2023 and the end of the year has been catastrophic. Traffic died on November 5. We are a small blog and completely self-supporting by ad revenue, donations, and subscriptions. If you can afford a monthly subscription that would help us out. If you can make a small donation, likewise. Our only goal is to stay in business and give you the best content we can generate. Thank you. Ursula
Nice piece Denis. I will share that every time I see Paul Robeson, I am reminded of the stories my late great-uncle Bill Walsh (nee Moses Wolofsky) shared with me about his very close, multi-decade relationship with him. If memory serves, they met at some anti-racism-political rally in NYC or Chicago in like, the 30’s, and stayed close friends the rest of Robeson’s life. And every time Robeson needed to destress from the pressure of American life as a black man, especially as a touring black man, he would come up to Toronto for a week or two and stay with my uncle and his wife and just enjoy the hospitality of a City that didn’t really give a rat’s butt about his skin colour. I have very good feelings every time I see Robeson’s name even mentioned. Thanks again Denis.
OK, Denis, you got me. I’m another former Marine (non-combat, as women were then not allowed even to sere on combat zones. Side note: the first Woman Marine who did serve in a combat zone was an officer with a command/admin MOS. She had previously been one of 3 platoon leaders in my class at OCS. But I digress)
You got me choked up with your songs, and especially with Robeson. You probably know that that tune was not a stolen or borrowed spiritual, but an original Dvorak melody attempting to recreate the general style of spirituals – in which it succeeded so well that words were eventually added to it.
But also because I believe Jimmy, who worked so hard to try to eliminate racism would be very pleased by the three black artists with those wonderful songs.
My own time on active duty in the Corps was back in the 1980s which makes us both “Old Corps” I guess. (For civilians a little jarhead humor: Question – what’s the definition of Old Corps? Answer – the Marine Corps you belonged to the day BEFORE the jarhead you’re talking to joined!) Having been both a “jock” and a musician from early in life and in college too I know my music. In fact I minored in music and was even part of the Marjorie Lawrence Opera Theater at my alma matter, SIU-Carbondale. I was in fact aware of the origins of Going Home and the larger symphony Dvorak wrote that it came from.
I first heard it during a made for TV movie about Franklin and Elenore Roosvelt. There was a scene at a train station during the trip where they took his body from Warm Springs to DC and an old black guy stood playing his accordion and singing the song with tears running down his face. I looked and looked but couldn’t find it on YouTube so I went with Robeson, someone who’s singing I knew well. And who but Ray Charles to use for Georgia On My Mind? Louie Armstrong introing Sweet Georgia Brown rounded it out. I know in my heart Jimmy Carter would approve of my choices but his tastes were much broader than people realized. Including not just Willie Nelson but the freaking Allman Brothers Band! In fact they helped him raise some crucial funds at a crucial time. I just couldn’t think of a truly Georgia specific song from them to include or I’d have put it in the mix because that too was a lasting friendship for Carter. I debated the infamous “Salt Peanuts” clip however. Perhaps I should have tossed it in.
Well, I thank you for your comment. It’s nice to know there are other old jarheads out there like me. Sailors could be a pain in the ass and many a Naval Officer was so tight-assed they’d squeak when they walked but I knew an awful lot of sailors including Officers who were awesome. I’m sure as demanding as he’d have been it would have been not just an honor but a pleasure to have served as part of the Marine detachment on a ship or boat Carter was on but that was before I was even born. The thing is as you know, if you take care of your troops they will take care of you and superiors in rank who the troops know have their back will bust their asses for them. That’s why I think Carter was destined not just for command but eventually an Admiral’s Flag and who knows? Even CNO?