First Lieutenant (Lt.) Carter was a graduate of Aviation Cadet Class 43K at Blythville Army Airbase, Arkansas. He was assigned to B-17 Flying Fortress' as pilot and co-pilot. His crew arrived in England in April 1944 with the 385th Bomb Group, 548th Squadron at Great Ashfield, England. After seven missions, Lt. Carter's crew was selected as a lead crew for the rest of his 30 missions.

His plane was shot down by anti-aircraft fire on the 18th mission, crash landing in France one mile inside friendly territory. His navigator, 1Lt. Russell E. Eichelberger, was killed. The rest of the crew suffered only minor injuries, and continued to fly missions.

Lt. Carter was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, Presidential Unit Citation, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with four battle stars, and the World War II Victory Medal.

Before entering the service, Lt. Carter was a charter member of the Delaware Civil Air Patrol, flying many submarine patrol missions off the Delaware Coast in 1941 and 1942.