Sergeant Edward A. Carter Jr, A Soldier's Story
Sergeant Edward A. Carter Jr, A Soldier's Story
Sergeant Edward A. Carter Jr. was born on May 26, 1916, in Los Angeles, California. The son of missionaries, he spent much of his childhood abroad in India and China, where he was immersed in multiple cultures and became fluent in English, Mandarin, Hindi, and German.
His exposure to conflict began unusually early. At just fifteen years old, Carter joined the Chinese Nationalist Army during the 1932 Shanghai Incident, serving as a teenage interpreter and courier during the opening phase of the Second Sino-Japanese conflict. A few years later, driven by a deep opposition to fascism, he volunteered with the Abraham Lincoln Brigade during the Spanish Civil War, supporting Republican forces against Franco’s regime.
When the United States entered World War II, Carter enlisted in the U.S. Army and was assigned to the 56th Armored Infantry Battalion, 12th Armored Division. Despite his extensive combat experience, racial segregation limited his initial opportunities; nevertheless, Carter consistently pressed forward into combat roles.
On March 23, 1945, near Speyer, Germany, Carter’s unit was pinned down by intense enemy fire. When his tank was disabled, Sergeant Carter voluntarily dismounted and advanced across open ground under heavy fire. Armed with a bazooka and rifle, and despite being wounded multiple times, he single-handedly attacked enemy positions, killing six German soldiers and capturing two others. Even after sustaining five wounds, he continued to relay critical intelligence that allowed American forces to advance and secure the objective.
For this conspicuous gallantry and indomitable courage above and beyond the call of duty, Sergeant Edward A. Carter Jr. was awarded the Medal of Honor—though not until 1997, more than fifty years after his actions, following a formal review that acknowledged racial bias in the original awards process.
Despite his service, Carter later faced suspicion during the early Cold War era due to his earlier foreign military service and was denied re-enlistment in 1949. He spent his postwar years working in the tire industry and lived quietly until his death from cancer on January 30, 1963.
Sergeant Edward A. Carter Jr. is remembered not only for his extraordinary valor but also as a soldier whose life reflects the complexities, contradictions, and long-delayed recognition faced by many American heroes of his generation.
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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.
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