Veteran Spouse Profile: Marie Carter, Independent Living at 99
From her home in central Arkansas, 99-year-old Marie Carter reflects on her husband James’s Army service. The year was 1943 when James was drafted into what we now know as World War II, leaving just 11 days after their wedding. While his three brothers—also drafted—were deployed to Germany, James was sent to the Pacific Theater.
In their rural town, “we didn’t have news like they do now,” she explains, “no radio, no TV, no newspaper.” She heard virtually nothing about the progress of the war, much less about her husband’s whereabouts and welfare. “It was terrible.”
James served for three years without leave or furlough, a heavy undertaking even without considering his life-threatening, grueling experiences in the Philippines and Japan. He fell ill with malaria and lost hearing in one ear from the loud shooting. He was deep in the Philippine jungle when the war ended, and was not immediately aware of the Allied victory. Thankfully, he and his brothers all returned safely home, though Marie notes they were subtly changed by what they had seen on the front lines. “They didn’t talk a whole lot about the stuff that went on overseas,” she says, “We just went on with our lives.”
James was honorably discharged from the Army (with a Victory Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, and bronze Service Star) and began working for a propane company. They had children, including a son who served in the Navy. A few decades, several moves, and an early retirement later, the Carters achieved their dream of a peaceful country life, buying three acres in rural Arkansas. After James’s death in 1988, Marie lived in their country home for another 20 years before moving into town to be closer to needed services. She has lived independently in an apartment ever since.
Marie recalls that her husband “never went to the VA for anything. He could have got a pension or something, especially because of his injuries, but he never got any help in any way.” Fortunately, Marie’s son and daughter-in-law learned that she qualified for the VA’s Aid and Attendance as a surviving spouse. Through VetAssist, she receives ongoing benefits and now
has a professional caregiver who visits three days a week. “It’s such a blessing because I couldn’t have ever hired someone to help me like this.”
She also got a new walker, which helps her maintain her independent lifestyle. “I pray I’ll never need to go to a nursing home or assisted living,” she adds. “People ask me how I have lived 99 years, and I say, clean living and living for the Lord.”
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