Article Excerpt:
"His post WWII life was a story of discrimination, frustration, false accusations but ultimate redemption driven by the efforts of his tenacious daughter-in-law, Allene Carter. Edward Carter was a born soldier, it was his profession and first love, and his transition to civilian life was complicated. Discrimination after the war was widespread, and many black veterans had trouble securing employment, including Carter.
He applied but was turned down for a VA (Veterans Affairs) loan to launch a painting business and eventually landed as the Director of Public Relations for the Eastside Chamber of Commerce in Los Angeles. He became chairman of the Chamber’s Veterans Bureau and attempted to form an interracial veterans committee. He saw it as a way black and white veterans could work together to set an example to improve race relations. Unfortunately, the committee never got off the ground.
Frustrated, he returned to the life he knew best and reenlisted in the military. Carter was assigned to Camp Lee, Virginia, in the First Service Group, but it was only temporary. His combat experience was needed, and he became an instructor on loan from the Army in the California National Guard and transferred west to Sacramento. Carter served successfully at different posts across the state.
In the late 1940s, however, it came to light that he had been under investigation and surveillance by the Army Counterintelligence Corps (CIC) for suspected communist sympathies. The investigation stemmed from his service with the Abraham Lincoln Brigade in Spain during the Spanish Civil War."
Read the full Article at Aspects of History
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