Edward A. Carter Jr.

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Edward A. Carter Jr.
Edward Carter USArmy.jpg
Birth nameEdward Allen Carter Jr.
Born(1916-05-26)May 26, 1916
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedJanuary 30, 1963(1963-01-30) (aged 46)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Buried
Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance
Branch
Service years1932, 1937–1938, 1941–1949
RankSergeant first class
Units
Conflicts

Edward Allen Carter Jr. (May 26, 1916 – January 30, 1963) was a United States Army sergeant first class who was wounded in action during World War II. He was awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration for valor, for his actions of March 23, 1945, near Speyer, Germany.[1][2]

Carter and six other black Americans who served in World War II were awarded the Medal of Honor on January 12, 1997. The seven recipients are the first and only black Americans to be awarded the Medal of Honor for World War II.[3][4]

Early years[edit]

Carter was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1916. He was the son of missionary parents; a black American father and an East Indian mother. Carter grew up in India and then moved to Shanghai, China.[1]

Military career[edit]

China and Spain[edit]

While in Shanghai in 1932, Carter ran away from home and joined the National Revolutionary Army fighting against the invading Japanese during the Shanghai Incident. He had to leave the Nationalist Army because he was only 15. He eventually made his way to Spain and joined the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, an American volunteer unit supporting the Spanish Loyalists in their fight against Francisco Franco's regime during the Spanish Civil War.[1]

World War II[edit]

Carter had entered the U.S. Army on September 26, 1941. As a result of his previous combat experience, he stood out among the other recruits. In less than a year, he had achieved the rank of staff sergeant. Carter was part of the 56th Armored Infantry Battalion of the 12th Armored Division.[5]

Black soldiers volunteering for this combat duty had to surrender their current rank. When provisional companies were set up Carter volunteered and went from staff sergeant to private. The provisional companies generally were established during, and in the wake of, the battle of the Bulge, which took place during the winter of 1944–1945. Black support and combat-support soldiers, and some whites, were allowed to volunteer for combat duty and were given training in small-unit tactics. Formed into provisional units, they were used to augment depleted divisions.

Twelfth Armored soldier standing guard over a group of Germans

On March 23, 1945, Carter, a 28-year-old infantry staff sergeant, heroically acted when the tank on which he was riding was hit by a Panzerschreck. Dismounted, Carter led three soldiers across an open field. In the process, two of the men were killed and the other seriously wounded. Carter continued alone and was wounded five times before being forced to take cover.

Eight German soldiers tried to capture him, but he killed six and captured the remaining two. He used the two captured Germans as a shield from enemy fire as he recrossed the field. His prisoners provided valuable information on enemy-troop disposition for his unit. For this he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross on October 4, 1945, and later promoted to the rank of sergeant first class.[5]

Carter was refused re-enlistment in Army in 1949, due to unfounded allegations that he had communist contacts and allegiances, related to his affiliation with the Abraham Lincoln Brigade and a "Welcome Home Joe" dinner. [2] He died of lung cancer—attributed to shrapnel remaining in his neck—on January 30, 1963.[1] Carter was buried at Los Angeles National Cemetery and re-interred at Arlington National Cemetery in 1997.[6]

Awards and decorations[edit]

Carter's awards and decorations include:

Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Badge Combat Infantryman Badge
1st row Medal of Honor
2nd row Bronze Star Medal Purple Heart Army Good Conduct Medal
3rd row American Defense Service Medal EAME Campaign Medal
with oak leaf clusters 		World War II Victory Medal

MV SSG Edward A. Carter Jr. (T-AK 4544), a Navy container ship of the Military Sealift Command, was named after Carter.[7]

Medal of Honor[edit]

In the early 1990s, it was determined that black soldiers had been denied consideration for the Medal of Honor in World War II on ground of their race. In 1993, the Army contracted Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, to research and determine if there was racial disparity in the review process for recipients of the Medal of Honor. A study commissioned by the Army described systematic racial discrimination in the criteria for awarding decorations during World War II.

In 1996, after an exhaustive review of files, the study recommended that ten black Americans who served in World War II be awarded the Medal of Honor. In October of that year, Congress passed legislation that would allow the Medal of Honor to be passed to seven out of the ten former soldiers. The Medal of Honor was given to Carter's son, the descendants of the other five black Americans, and the only still-living recipient, Vernon Baker, on January 12, 1997.[8][9][10][11][12] Out of the seven, six had their Distinguished Service Crosses revoked and upgraded.[13]

Citation[edit]

  • The president of the United States in the name of the Congress takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor posthumously to:


  • Staff Sergeant Edward A. Carter Jr., United States Army


  • For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty: Staff Sergeant Edward A. Carter Jr. distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action on 23 March 1945. At approximately 0830 hours, 23 March 1945, near Speyer, Germany, the tank upon which Staff Sergeant Carter was riding received bazooka and small arms fire from the vicinity of a large warehouse to its left front. Staff Sergeant Carter and his squad took cover behind an intervening road bank. Staff Sergeant Carter volunteered to lead a three-man patrol to the warehouse where other unit members noticed the original bazooka fire. From here they to were ascertain the location and strength of the opposing position and advance approximately 150 yards [140 m] across an open field. Enemy small arms fire covered this field. As the patrol left this covered position, they received intense enemy small arms fire killing one member of the patrol instantly. This caused Staff Sergeant Carter to order the other two members of the patrol to return to the covered position and cover him with rifle fire while he proceeded alone to carry out the mission. The enemy fire killed one of the two soldiers while they were returning to the covered position, and seriously wounded the remaining soldier before he reached the covered position. An enemy machine machine gun burst wounded Staff Sergeant Carter three times in the left arm as he continued the advance. He continued and received another wound in his left leg that knocked him from his feet. As Staff Sergeant Carter took wound tablets and drank from his canteen, the enemy shot it from his left hand, with the bullet going through his hand. Disregarding these wounds, Staff Sergeant Carter continued the advance by crawling until he was within thirty yards [27 m] of his objective. The enemy fire became so heavy that Staff Sergeant Carter took cover behind a bank and remained there for approximately two hours. Eight enemy riflemen approached Staff Sergeant Carter, apparently to take him prisoner, Staff Sergeant Carter killed six of the enemy soldiers and captured the remaining two. These two enemy soldiers later gave valuable information concerning the number and disposition of enemy troops. Staff Sergeant Carter refused evacuation until he had given full information about what he had observed and learned from the captured enemy soldiers. This information greatly facilitated the advance on Speyer. Staff Sergeant Carter's extraordinary heroism was an inspiration to the officers and men of the Seventh Army, Infantry Company Number 1 (Provisional) and exemplify the best traditions of the military.[14]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Footnotes[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d "Staff Sergeant Edward A. Carter". The California State Military Museum. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
  2. ^ a b McPherson, Ernest (February 24, 2009). "Medal of Honor: African-American hero recognized decades after brave act". US Army. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
  3. ^ William, Rudi, American Forces Press Service. "Seven Black World War II Heroes Receive Medals of Honor". DoD News. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
  4. ^ Elliott V. Converse III (1997). The Exclusion of Black Soldiers from the Medal of Honor in World War II. McFarland & Company. ISBN 0-7864-0277-6.
  5. ^ a b "The making of a hero: Staff Sgt. Edward A. Carter Jr". US Navy. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
  6. ^ "Earl A. Carter II, Sergeant, United States Army, Arlington Cemetery". Arlington Cemetery. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  7. ^ "MV SSG Edward A. Carter Jr. (T-AK 4544)". Military Sealift Command, United States Navy. Retrieved April 23, 2006.
  8. ^ William, Rudi, American Forces Press Service. "Seven Black World War II Heroes Receive Medals of Honor". DoD News. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
  9. ^ Jim Garamone (January 15, 1997). "Army Finally Recognizes WWII Black Heroes". DefenseLINK News. Archived from the original on March 19, 2007.
  10. ^ William, Rudi, American Forces Press Service. "Seven Black World War II Heroes Receive Medals of Honor". DoD News. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
  11. ^ William, Rudi, American Forces Press Service. "Seven Black World War II Heroes Receive Medals of Honor". DoD News. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
  12. ^ Joseph L. Galloway, Debt of Honor, U.S. News & World Report, May 6, 1996. ISSN 0041-5537
  13. ^ "War Heroes- First Lieutenant John Robert Fox". www.myblackhistory.net. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
  14. ^ "Carter Jr., Edward, Citation". Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation. Retrieved March 30, 2019.

Sources[edit]

External links[edit]

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