Mr Carter was a gifted student, graduated at the age of 16 and served in the US Navy during WWII. Not only was he a gifted student, but he was also a gifted baseball player. He played semi-professional baseball in the National Negro League with the Cuban Giants and later locally with the Winston-Salem Pond Giants.
Upon completing his service, he joined the Winston Salem Fire Department in 1951, as one of eight of the first black firefighters in North Carolina. He and the other seven that joined him had to endure a lot as they worked to integrate the WSFD years before Martin Luther King's "I have a dream speech." Yet, he did so with perseverance, professionalism, and humility. He served for 35 years before retiring as a Captain. Captain Carter was described as quiet and unassuming, but he had the intellect, innate sense of confidence, and keen discernment that was exemplified in his charismatic personality, sharp appearance, and professional demeanor.