In 1981 the southern rock band “The Atlanta Rhythm Section” released the song “Homesick”. The song posed the question “Where were you in 69”? The answer for the late James Earl Carter, Jr., was Leary, Georgia. At least for one evening. Prior to being elected as the Governor of Georgia in 1970, the future 39th president of the United States was attending a Lion’s Club meeting in a small town in southwest Georgia. At around 7:15 that evening he and other attendees saw something in the sky.
President Carter explained what he saw as follows: “It was the darndest thing I’ve ever seen”. He further stated “It was big. It was bright. It changed colors and it was about the size of the moon”.
What is most interesting about the encounter is that President Carter actually filed a written report on the sighting while he was the Georgia Governor in 1973. The same was filed with a private group known as the “International UFO Bureau”. Given the stigma attached to people who had seen UFO’s during that period of history, it was a risky move for a man with higher political ambitions.
However, Carter was a graduate of the US Naval Academy. In his naval career he dealt with nuclear submarines and nuclear reactors. He also saw the UFO along with about 20 other people. Hence, he was deemed credible and his story was not discounted or dismissed. It should be pointed out that he never claimed that the object was from outer space. He merely could not identify it.
President Carter is known for many accomplishments in his lifetime including receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. His establishment of the Carter Center and his good works in his post presidential career are well documented. However, we at Take Me to Your Lawyer enjoy sharing lesser-known trivia like this which we hope our readers find of interest.
