I often wonder why black people in the United States are so misunderstood. From the moment the first black man and woman was forced to set foot on North American soil we have struggled for one thing. To be treated like human beings. All to often we have gone the extra mile to serve this nation that does not want us.
Edward Carter Jr. was a black man. Chances are you may never have heard his name if you aren’t interested in military history. Edward Carter Jr. was a real hero. During World War II Carter volunteered to serve. Because of past military experience he was made a Sargeant. Black soldiers were not allowed to serve in combat. They were relegated to none combat functions. That changed however in early 1945 when a shortage of manpower allowed blacks to serve in combat units. Edward Carter Jr. Volunteered for a combat unit.
Even with a manpower shortage the Army still couldn’t get past racism. In order for Carter to be assigned to a combat unit he had to relinquish his rank. He went into combat as a PFC. The unit that he was assigned to came under fire on March 23, 1945 near Speyer, Germany. Carter volunteered to reconnoiter the enemy gun emplacement. To get there he and two other black infantrymen had to cross an open field. The immediately encountered heavy enemy fire. Edward Carter Jr. was wounded in three places and his companions were killed. Wounded and bleeding heavily Carter continued across the open field. He subsequently killed six enemy combatants and took another two prisoner. Carter who was fluent in German interrogated his two prisoners. The interrogation resulted in valuable information regarding enemy gun placement.
Edward Carter Jr. was transported to a field hospital for treatment of his wounds. The severity of his injuries could have gotten him a ticket home but Edward Carter Jr. returned to his combat unit after three weeks wearing bandages from his still unhealed wounds.
Edward Carter Jr. Was recommended for the Distiguished Service Cross for his actions. His commanding officer would later say that he wanted to recommend him for the Congressional Medal of Honor but he knew that as a black soldier he would never recieve it.
When Carter returned to the US he stayed in the Army until 1949. When he tried to reenlist this recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross was denied reenactment because during the Spanish Civil War he had served in the Abraham Lincoln brigade. That Service cast him as a communist and ineligible for continued military service.
Edward Carter Jr.,a hero was relegated to working in a tire plant. A man who was a hero, who wanted to continue his service to his country was honorably discharged to spend the remainder of his life working in a tire factory.
In 1963 Edward Carter Jr. Died of lung cancer. He was buried in Los Angeles with less than 30 people in attendance. In 1997 after a review of military records from WW II Sgt. Edward Carter Jr. was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. His body was moved to Arlington Cemetery with full military honors.
There are a couple of things I want to point out to you. First Sgt. Edward Carter Jr. wasn’t the only black hero who was overlooked. Message 3rd Class Dorie Miller was denied the Congressional Medal of Honor and that wrong as never been righted. There are many other unsung black heroes from WW II. They served and all they wanted was to be treated like human beings.
I used Sgt. Edward Carter Jr. name numerous times in the course of this comment purposely. I hope that I used it enough times for you to remember it. I hope you remember that he served valiantly not because he had to but because he wanted to. Finally I hope when you think about him you remember that he was a human being.
Think!!
Eyes Wide 👀 Open!!!
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