Carter, Robert Charles

Robert Charles Carter was born on July 5, 1925 to Henrietta Snow and Charles Carter in the Bronx, New York. He grew up during the Depression with his three sisters: Marge Bertolos, Gladys Dalton, and Ruth Stephany.

Carter was employed by the U.S. Maritime Service when he applied to become an ambulance driver with the American Field Service (AFS) on September 7, 1944. He sailed overseas from New York on December 4, 1944 with AFS unit IB 46. Carter arrived in India on January 14, 1945 and was posted to the British 14^th Army on January 20, 1945. He spent time in Bombay before traveling to Sinthe, Burma where he received his ambulance. From Sinthe he traveled southward on the heels of the British 17^th Division to Meiktila and then Pegu, an area located about fifty miles from Rangoon, Burma’s capital. During this time, Carter experienced numerous aid raids while transporting the wounded between dressing stations located about fifteen to twenty miles away from the front. Carter remained in Pegu and, despite the monsoon weather, was transferred from AFS’ Ambulance Section to AFS’ Jeep Section in order to transport the wounded from the Regimental Aid Post (RAP) to the Advanced Dressing Station (ADS).

By June 1, 1945, Carter was assigned to the 12^th Army and was performing some inside work for Q.M. (Quartermaster) in addition to his typical field work, which included transporting wounded Japanese troops to the Casualty Clearing Station (CCS).

He was repatriated back to the United States on November 10, 1945. He was entitled to a 1939-1945 Star and a Burma Star for his service.

After the war Carter met and married Irene Simas. They had five children during the course of their 61-year marriage: Debbie Schuck, Chris Carter, Nancy Byington, Cassandra Tucker, and Becky Leckinger. Bob and Irene Carter moved to Albany, New York where they worked for the Veterans Administration Hospital. Bob earned his M.A. in Nursing at New York City College, and began teaching at Russell Sage College.  After the family moved to Tallahassee, Florida, Bob began teaching at the Florida State University School of Nursing, later pioneering the clinical program for Psychiatric Nursing at Chattahoochee State Hospital.  In retirement he continued to serve his community, volunteering at the Panacea Health Clinic and at the Tallahassee Memorial Hospital.

Robert C. Carter passed away on January 16, 2012.

[Bio courtesy AFS Archives. New York]