Nearly three weeks after suffering cardiac arrest, Vietnam veteran and community leader Richard Jeffrey has been released from the hospital and is continuing his recovery at home.

Jeffrey, who was in critical condition immediately after going into cardiac arrest on Feb. 16, was discharged from the hospital on Thursday, said Santa Clarita Mayor Bob Kellar.

“I have talked to him several times, and he sounds like a new man,” Kellar said. “He’s definitely on a very strong road of recovery.”

On Feb. 22, Jeffrey underwent a reportedly successful open heart surgery and spent at least the next several days recovering in the Intensive Care Unit.

Related: Richard Jeffrey In ICU Following Open Heart Surgery

Prior to the surgery, Jeffrey was reported to be well enough for a series of tests that would determine the extent of damage to his heart, which resulted in the subsequent need for surgery, according to Kellar.

“He was in the hospital just two days short of a full three weeks,” Kellar said, “which is a long time today for anybody to be in the hospital… All I can say is, thank God for modern medicine.”

A champion for veteran causes in the Santa Clarita Valley, Jeffrey is a U.S. Marine vet and the chairman and president of Back to the War Zone, a nonprofit organization dedicated to veterans who served in combat operations abroad.

“Dick Jeffrey is one of the heroes of Santa Clarita. His passion for his fellow veterans is incredible,” said KHTS AM-1220 Owner Carl Goldman. “He is part of the leadership advocating for our Santa Clarita veterans. Our thoughts and prayers go out for a speedy recovery.”