STAFF SERGEANT EDWARD A. CARTER, JR. U.S. ARMY

U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Edward A. Carter, Jr. (1916-1963) was one of the most heroic Soldiers in the U.S. Army. His father was a Black American and his mother was from India, where he spent most of his childhood.

In the early 1930s, Carter moved to China and joined the National Revolutionary Army under the command of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek (1887-1975), a U.S. ally. There he fought against the Japanese who were invading eastern China.

After his removal from the Chinese military due to being underage, he made his way to Spain where he enlisted in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, a unit of foreigners fighting against the fascists during the Spanish Civil War from 1936 to 1939.

By the time the U.S. entered World War 2, Carter was already an experienced Soldier. He enlisted in the U.S. Army, which was segregated, volunteering for the infantry.

On March 23, 1945 while assigned to the 12th Armored Division, Carter led a team of black Soldiers to eliminate a German battle position that attacked his convoy. After losing his squad, Carter single-handedly advanced on the German platoon equipped with infantry and artillery.

Injured from multiple bullet wounds, Carter killed six German Soldiers in the battle position, captured two Germans, and escorted them back to his commanding officer. Fluent in German, Carter interrogated the Germans and provided vital information to his commanding officer. On January 12, 1997, Carter was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President Bill Clinton. 

by Anthony E. Thomas