Bernard Pitzer Carter Jr. was born on 10 September 1918 in Richmond, Virginia, to Bernard Pitzer Carter Sr. and Emily McLaurier Carter (nee Everett). Bernard Sr. was born in Virginia and Emily was born in North Carolina. Bernard Sr. worked in the Insurance industry. Bernard Jr. had a younger brother James and younger sister Emily named for their mother. Bernard Jr. and his siblings were educated in Richmond, Virginia.

Bernard Jr. made his way to Lexington Virginia in the late summer of 1934 and signed the ledger at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) matriculating with his Brother Rats for the Class of 1939. Cadet Carter attended VMI for at least three years. It does appear that Cadet Carter graduated at VMI. By the 1940 Census Bernard Jr. is living in Hartford, Connecticut and working in the Insurance industry.

Bernard Pitzer Carter Jr. volunteered and enlisted in the US Army as an Aviation Cadet on 10 July 1940 in Richmond, Virginia. Aviation Cadet Carter completed his military and aviation training at Kelly Field, Texas graduating on 9 February 1941, earning his pilot’s wings, and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant (2LT) the same day.

After Pearl Harbor the US increased its military presence around the globe to include South America. As part of the US war effort the US maintained military bases in Brazil and conducted military training and exchanges with Central and South American Nations. 2LT Carter became part of that effort. 2LT Carter was flying a North American AT-6B Texan Trainer SN 41-17067 in Venezuela in June of 1942. 2LT Carter was performing a dive-bombing demonstration with a Venezuelan Pilot over Lake Valencia when the aircraft structurally failed, or the Venezuelan pilot froze at the controls. AT-6B 41-17067 crashed into Lake Valencia killing 2nd Lieutenant Bernard Pitzer Carter Jr. and the Venezuelan Air Force Pilot. 2LT Carter was 23 years of age when he was killed. He was unmarried and had no children. He had been in the US Army Air Corps/ US Army Air Force for under a year.

Records indicate that 2LT Carter’s remains were recovered and buried by US Army in the Panama Canal Zone early in WW II. After WWII in 1948 his remains were transported to Virginia at his family’s request and buried at Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia, on 17 December 1948.

2LT Carter is memorialized at VMI at Memorial Garden, Plaque for the Class of 1939 on the Parapet. 2LT Carter is also memorialized on the Plaque for the Dead of WW II at Washington Arch Old Barracks.

Author’s Note:

The term Brother Rat is used to refer to a fellow classmate from VMI.

This story was written by Dennis V. Dupras of Alaska, former Paratrooper (Airborne Infantryman of the 1st BN 325th AIR, 82nd ABN DIV), Infantry Officer of 1st BN 17th Infantry, and graduate of the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) Class of 1990. This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen here on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smart phone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story.

SOURCES:

VMI Archives Historical Rosters: Bernard Pitzer Carter Jr.

2LT Bernard Pitzer Carter Jr. (1918-1942) - Find A Grave Memorial

U.S., World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 - AncestryInstitution.com

Panama Canal Zone, Gorgas Hospital Mortuary Records, 1906-1991 - AncestryInstitution.com

Panama Canal Zone, Gorgas Hospital Mortuary Records, 1906-1991 - AncestryInstitution.com

AncestryInstitution.com - U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1970

AncestryInstitution.com - Virginia, U.S., Birth Records, 1912-2015, Delayed Birth Records, 1721-1911

The Times Dispatch (Richmond, Virginia) · 25 Jun 1942, Thu · Page 5

The Times Dispatch (Richmond, Virginia) · 17 Dec 1948, Fri · Page 35

The Times Dispatch (Richmond, Virginia) · 8 Feb 1942, Sun · Page 29

The Times Dispatch (Richmond, Virginia) · 28 Dec 1941, Sun · Page 40

The Times Dispatch (Richmond, Virginia) · 17 Feb 1942, Tue · Page 5

The Times Dispatch (Richmond, Virginia) · 17 Feb 1939, Fri · Page 18

Carter in Training.PNG

Bernard P Carter Jr, 2nd Lieutenant, USAAF