Private Carter was a member of the 823rd Ordnance Company, 192nd Ordnance Battalion, U.S. Army. On 15 July 1953, he was driving a truck on the Tongnae Road near the Pusan East Airfield (K-9) when his truck overturned in a rice paddy killing him.

Carter was awarded the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.