Canada Salutes Admiral Carey of the USA

March 19, 2012 - For Immediate Release

By George Platsis
Vice-Chairman & Executive Director

TORONTO, ONTARIO – We in Canada wish to pay honour and respect to a Great American that we are fortunate to have as our ally and friend.  Rear Admiral (Ret.) James J. Carey of the USA has proven time and again to be a great friend of Canada.  He has consistently provided outreach on both sides of our mutual interests, serving in the best interest of both our nations, for nearly five decades.  No one has been a better friend to Canada and we at the Canadian Defence Foundation thought it was time our foundation recognized his outstanding contributions to both our great nations.

Admiral Carey’s connections to Canada go far back, starting with guided tours of Americans during his college summers, to places such as: Vancouver Island, Vancouver, Lake Louise, and Banff Springs.  He has worked closely with the Canadian Armed Forces on several occasions during his 33 years of naval service in the USA, and, has worked closely with the Canadian federal government during his tenure as Chairman of the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission during the Presidencies of President Ronald Reagan and President George H. W. Bush. 

Since his retirement from the U.S. Navy, Admiral Carey has been strongly supportive of the Canadian Forces College in Toronto, coordinating with the Commandants to provide American Admirals and Generals for speaking engagements, symposiums, and panels.  He has also been a regular Guest of Honour at a broad range of Canadian Military events in Toronto where he has become well known and greatly admired.  Furthermore, he has been a staunch supporter of academia by providing continual support to York University’s Department of Disaster and Emergency Management, and, to the Schulich School of Business’ Centre of Excellence in Security, Resilience and Intelligence.

What many who read this article are probably unaware of is the tremendous support and financial commitment Admiral Carey has made to the young men and women of Canada, helping to fund them, and support their participation in the Washington Scholars Fellowship Program in Washington, DC.  Canada has now been fortunate in having our young men and women involved in this highly prestigious program which Admiral Carey founded in 1984 during his service with the Reagan Administration.

This tremendous opportunity for Canadian youth has resulted in several of them gaining: experience, qualifications, expertise, and credentials that have provided them with the basis for greater public service here in Canada.  For example, one of the graduates is part of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International trade and another is on the Parliamentary Staff in Nova Scotia.  In addition, this fellowship program has now expanded service into the Canadian Embassy Staff in Washington, DC, which has been a truly wonderful experience for our young Canadians to learn, firsthand, how government works for Canada in the national capital of the United States.  It must be recognized that none of these programs and opportunities would have been available to Canadian youth without: the support, both financial and logistical; the initiative; the liaising; and the coordination of Admiral Carey.

Admiral Carey has ensured that these programs were available to Canadians; Canada owes you Admiral Carey, and, we salute you, Sir!

For all that, we have also become aware of a circumstance that even most Americans are unaware of, namely: that Admiral Carey and his family have established plans to ensure that his entire estate will be used to fund the Admiral Carey Foundation.  This, of course, will help continue an outstanding program that is benefitting Canada, along with some 20+ other programs within the USA!

A warm and caring family man, husband and father, Admiral Carey, with the agreement and support of his wife and daughters, has structured his entire estate so that:

• - First, it will care for his wife and daughters through earnings of the estate assets; and
• - As those assets are no longer needed to care for his family, 100% of them will automatically transfer, via Trust, into his foundation to support these truly wonderful youth leadership training programs within the United States and Canada.
  
  

We salute this outstanding example of patriotism and love of country.  Indeed, we are thankful that Canada is included in these plans, which are structured to endow each of these tremendous programs, in perpetuity, though annual endowment funds that are positioned to be donated every year and to grow over time.  Thank you Admiral Carey for including Canada’s young men and women in your truly superb leadership training plans for the youth of both our nations.

The Canadian Defence Foundation is pleased and proud to recognize Admiral Carey for his dedication to the future leadership of both our nations, and, we thank him for his role in the many initiatives he has begun for the betterment of the world.  We look forward to his next visit in Canada where we will present him with a commemorative plaque as a thank you for all his generous efforts and contributions.

We intend to find many ways over time to repay the Admiral for all that he has done for Canada, and, our young men and women.  We look forward to continuing work with him for many many years to come.

Thank you Admiral Carey!