Dr. Vernon H. Carter, Jr. was born May 22, 1929 in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. He served voluntarily in the USAF and was commissioned in 1950. He served fifteen months overseas including eleven months in Korea while completing 100 missions in fighter/bomber aircraft. USAF aircraft flown included T-28 A; T-33 "T-Bird"; F-80 "Shooting Star" and F-84 "Thunderjet". After resigning his USAF commission in 1953, he completed his undergraduate education, graduated from The University of Arkansas Medical School, and subsequently completed his training in the specialty of dermatology at the University of Alabama School of Medicine. An avid aviator, he owned and operated various civilian aircraft including Lake Amphibian, Cessna 310 and Cessna 414 as well as a Cessna 185 (N85LC) in which he commuted from his working farm in Northwest Arkansas to his medical practice in Rogers, Arkansas. Seeking to combine his passions for aviation and medicine, he was the Founder and President of The Space Dermatology Foundation, an organization committed to dermatologic research in space focused on addressing the implications of space travel and the human condition. He solidified his place in experimental aviation history by building and flying the prototype of the Arocet AT-9 (N253LC), a turbine-powered Glasair III with a 420 shp Allison engine that delivered a 366 mph cruise speed. Dr. Carter and his wife, Kathryn, perished in an accident in that prototype on May 23, 1989 in Opelika, Alabama. His passion and pioneering spirit will long be remembered by his family, friends and colleagues through his many aviation and medical contributions.