Many prominent voices on social media from Atlanta and around the nation paid tribute to former Georgia Sen. Max Cleland, a heralded Vietnam War veteran who died Tuesday at his home in Atlanta.
U.S. Senator Max Cleland sacrificed for and served Georgia and our nation with true integrity. He defended democracy, spoke up for veterans and embodied a quiet dignity that lifted all who knew him. God’s peace to his family and friends as he takes rest from his labors. #gapol https://t.co/CInpTH5xhB
— Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams) November 9, 2021
“U.S. Senator Max Cleland sacrificed for and served Georgia and our nation with true integrity,” Stacey Abrams tweeted. “He defended democracy, spoke up for veterans and embodied a quiet dignity that lifted all who knew him. God’s peace to his family and friends as he takes rest from his labors.”
Awful news. Max Cleland was a patriot, showed that disabled people could live a fulfilling and good life with a disability and was the subject of a disgusting and vile smear campaign in 2002. https://t.co/JzAR9KDepu
— Eric Michael Garcia (@EricMGarcia) November 9, 2021
Among those who remembered Cleland as a courageous leader included Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and Atlanta Archdiocese Fr. Bruce Wilkinson.
https://t.co/fGZsXWmGyV. Senator Cleland was a kind, selfless, courageous man. He would reach out to me, during some of my most challenging times, to offer words of encouragement. I am grateful for his service and friendship.
— Keisha Lance Bottoms (@KeishaBottoms) November 9, 2021
There are not enough thanks that can be given to #MaxCleland, who served our nation in multiple ways, especially after being wounded during the Vietnam War to becoming a US Senator from Georgia. RIP Senator Cleland.
— Fr. Bruce Wilkinson (@PadreInAtlanta) November 9, 2021
Very sad to learn of the passing of Max Cleland. I interned in his Senate office in the summer of 1998. He was full of energetic humor & always encouraged my political pursuits. Highlight: when he took interns to the Senate dining room & John Glenn sat next to us. https://t.co/qyHuGfZnKc
— Amir Farokhi (@AmirForATL) November 9, 2021
Senator Cleland epitomized the values of service and patriotism. As a Georgian and as the daughter of a veteran, I know that our nation is better for his leadership. Praying for his family and loved ones. https://t.co/xOQN2U46a9
— Jen Jordan (@senatorjen) November 9, 2021
U.S. Senator Max Cleland will be deeply missed. He was a pillar in the Democratic Party, a defender of democracy, and an advocate for our veterans. A treasure has moved on to glory. Praying for his family and friends and all those whose lives he touched. #gapol https://t.co/VK5ztVX3by
— Felicia Moore (@mooreforatlanta) November 9, 2021
US Senator Max Cleland was a great American and a great Georgian. He served our nation honorably both abroad and domestically. I'm grateful to have been able to call him a friend and will miss his leadership and wisdom. https://t.co/piomi5uDRa pic.twitter.com/eNWrpHsEtY
— Robb Pitts (@ChairRobbPitts) November 9, 2021
President Joe Biden issued a statement Tuesday afternoon honoring the late senator who also once served as Georgia’s secretary of state.
“Max Cleland was an American hero whose fearless service to our nation, and to the people of his beloved home state of Georgia, never wavered. As a 25-year-old serving in the 1st Cavalry Division of the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, Max lost both of his legs and his right arm in a grenade explosion at Khe Sanh.
After grueling months in the hospital, enduring multiple surgeries and a long road back to recovery, Max turned his pain into purpose. He continued his distinguished public service, becoming a lifelong champion of the dignity and rights of working people and America's wounded veterans. His leadership was the essential driving force behind the creation of the modern VA health system, where so many of his fellow heroes have found lifesaving support and renewed purpose of their own thanks in no small part to Max's lasting impact.
I had the distinct honor of knowing Max as both a colleague and a friend during our six years together in the United States Senate. He was a man of unflinching patriotism, boundless courage, and rare character. I was proud to have Max by my side. He will be remembered as one of Georgia's and America's great leaders. Max Cleland was a good man who loved God and country. Jill and I are deeply saddened to learn of his passing, and our prayers are with all those who loved him."
Former President Jimmy Carter also issued a statement calling Cleland a “dear friend.”
“Rosalynn and I join thousands of Americans in mourning the loss of our dear friend Max Cleland. A true American hero who was no stranger to sacrifice, Max gave of his talents in service as a Georgia state senator, secretary of state, head of the VA, and U.S. senator. We are grateful for his commitment to the citizens of the United States, but also for the personal role he played in our lives. We know his legacy of courage and dedication will serve as inspiration for generations to come.”
Earlier in the day, U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia released a statement expressing his condolences.
“Senator Cleland was a hero, a patriot, a public servant, and a friend,” he wrote. “His advice as I entered the Senate and in the early months of my tenure have been invaluable. Georgia and the nation will deeply miss him. Alisha and I are keeping Senator Cleland’s family in our prayers.”
Others shared memorable moments and notable quotations by Cleland from his term in the U.S. Senate.
Cleand's favorite quote was from A Farewell to Arms, and it was certainly true in his case: “The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places." #gapol https://t.co/f3nPVkAH5q
— Patricia Murphy (@politicalinsidr) November 9, 2021
Senator Max Cleland (D-GA) November 19, 2002 ends his Senate floor farewell speech: "Happy trails to you, 'til we meet again. God bless you" followed by applause. RIP. https://t.co/3yj2dgIbq1 @cspan pic.twitter.com/RSgm9zV9Uq
— Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) November 9, 2021
Rest well, Max Cleland, former senator and head of @DeptVetAffairs.
— Ed O'Keefe (@edokeefe) November 9, 2021
“I guess I am a true soldier. I just want to be out in the field. Don’t stick me in the headquarters. I can’t stand it. Just send me out there on a mission.” https://t.co/6VTXMk3Xbc
Many also acknowledged Cleland’s commitment to civil rights issues and veterans affairs.
Rest in peace, Max Cleland. You've earned it. And thank you for everything you did to fight for veterans -- your generation, mine, and those to come. https://t.co/NYnG6dTHgg
— Phillip Carter (@Carter_PE) November 9, 2021
Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said Cleland “was a hero of mine.”
Max Cleland was a hero of mine. I am very sad we have lost such an amazing American. He said: “To live is to suffer. To survive is to find meaning in the suffering,”
— Sheldon Whitehouse (@SenWhitehouse) November 9, 2021
Author Keith Boykin recalled when the moderate Democrat lost his Senate seat to Republican Saxby Chambliss in 2002.
Max Cleland was a U.S. Senator from Georgia, who lost his legs and arm to a hand grenade in the Vietnam War, and lost his Senate seat in 2002 when Republican Saxby Chambliss ran a smear campaign trying to link him to Osama bin Laden, a year after 9/11.https://t.co/E2oewqKVnR
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) November 9, 2021
Those paying tribute included Cleland’s former colleagues and those he helped along the way.
Today, I'm heartbroken after I learned my former boss, Senator Max Cleland, died.
— Erikson Young (@EriksonYoung) November 9, 2021
I'm grateful to intern in his D.C. office. I believed I was the only Deaf staff during his term. I never forgot the moment; he asked me to accompany him to the @SenateFloor for the vote. pic.twitter.com/Ft3Poa0AY3
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