Carter, Earl Cecil, SSgt

REMEMBRANCE IN PROGRESS - SUBJECT TO CHANGE
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From Patriot Guard Riders:

25 Nov 2009 8:05 PM Quote Reply Alert


*** Confirmed Mission, Earl C. Carter, WWII vet, Charleston, WV, 28 November 2009 ***

The family of Earl C. Carter has invited the Patriot Guard Riders to stand up a mission of honor at his funeral on Saturday, November 28th. According to his daughter, Earl was a USAAC Staff Sergeant in WWII, where he served as a ball turret belly gunner; he flew 15 combat missions over Germany. In his post-service years, Earl was an active member of the VFW and the American Legion. He and his wife had been married for over 62 years, and I'm sure Earl will be greatly missed by his life-long companion.

Although this is a holiday weekend, please try to find time to come out and honor another one of America's "Greatest Generation", who has sadly passed from this life. We will be standing up a flag line at the church, and upon completion of the church service, we will also be providing an escort from the church to the cemetery in Cross Lanes. If your bike/cage is capable of safely flying flags, please come prepared to do so. The weather forecast indicates it will be sunny, with a high in the low 50s, so please dress accordingly, and please remember to bring your 3x5 flags for the flag line. The Barlow-Bonsal Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Staging location: Christ Church United Methodist, 1221 Quarrier Street, Charleston WV (we will meet in the corner of the parking lot...look for the bikes)
Time: 0930 with mission brief at 0950
Flag line: In place from 1000-1100, and then again at the close of the service when he is taken from the church. We will also be providing an escort from the church to the cemetery in Cross Lanes (Tyler Mountain Memorial Gardens).

The assigned Ride Captain for this mission of honor will be Buddy Palla, WVPGR ASC-South. He may be contacted at 304-610-1324. Please continue to monitor this thread for any additional/supplemental information.

From Barlow-Bonsall Funeral Home:

Earl Cecil Carter, 83, of Charleston passed away at home after a long illness with cancer on Wednesday, November 25, 2009.
He held a variety of executive and management positions with AAA and NAA (National Auto Association), serving West Virginia. He actively pursued network marketing and other entrepreneurial endeavors throughout his career. He was personally committed to opportunities for veterans through the launch of the Manufacturing of America Company.

He had been a member of Christ Church United Methodist since 1958. Earl and his wife, Noka, were greeters for new and existing members.

Earl served in the Air Force and was a veteran of WWII, serving in the Mighty Eighth Division. He was trained to be a Ball Turret (Belly Gunner) on a B-24 airplane. He flew the last seven out of nine missions over Germany and supported the end of the war, European Theatre. He received a disability medical discharge in 1945 as staff sergeant.

He was a member of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rites of Freemasonry, Beni Kedem Shrine since 1963, and served as past commander of Legion of Honor. He was also a member of the Royal Order of Jesters Court 111 and founder of the VIP Room. He was soon to receive his 50-year membership award from Beni Kedem and was a member of the Charleston Masonic Lodge 153 AF&AM.

He was preceded in death by brother, Fred Carter; and sister, Irene Ladoucer.

He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Noka Jane Carter; three daughters, Kitty Hunt, Barbara Stutler, and Debbie Fejes, and their husbands, Doug Hunt, and Emitt Stutler, and Gary Fejes; five grandchildren, April Scott and husband, Rob, and Tabitha and Crystal Stutler and Mallory and Austin Hunt; and three great-grandchildren, Kalaya Stutler, Brayden and Peyton Scott. Hunt and Fejes live in Atlanta, Ga. Kalaya and Crystal live in Sanford, Fla. All other family members reside in Charleston.

Special thanks go to all HospiceCare workers who assisted and helped Earl and his family during their time of need. The family would also like to express their sincere appreciation and gratitude to Aaron Nagarajan, M.D., and his staff at the David Lee Cancer Center.

Funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, November 28, at Christ Church United Methodist with Dr. Randall Flanagan officiating. Burial will follow in Tyler Mountain Memory Gardens, Cross Lanes.

Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at Christ Church United Methodist, Charleston. You may send condolences to the family at www.barlowbonsall.com.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Barlow-Bonsall Funeral Home, Charleston.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to HospiceCare, 1006 Kanawha Blvd. W., Charleston, WV 25312, or Christ Church United Methodist, 1221 Quarrier St., Charleston, WV 25301.
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At 28 Nov 2009 4:46 PM

RE: Earl C. Carter, USAAC, WWII Veteran, Charleston, WV, 28 NOV 09
by deaconbiker

**** Mission Accomplished ****

Today, we were privileged to stand in honor and respect for another hero from the World War II era. Friends and family of Earl C. Carter gathered together at Christ Church United Methodist in Charleston, WV to celebrate his life; Patriot Guard Riders assembled to honor him, because it was the right thing to do. Heroes from America's Greatest Generation are passing away from us much too quickly...we all owe them a huge debt of gratitude.

Yes, it was a holiday weekend, and yes, the temperatures were well below freezing for many who made the trip, but I am so thankful for those who were able to come be a part of this mission of honor. We had 11 bikes, 2 cages, and a total of 16 people in our flag line. I would especially like to thank those who came from such a great distance in freezing temperatures. Carol rode in all the way from Wheeling, the Sapios from Parkersburg, Carl and John from Huntington, Rick and Sharon from Ripley, an d the "Pat-pack" from Hinton.

The family repeatedly expressed their appreciation for our presence today, both at the church and at the cemetery. We had enough people to stand up two separate flag lines, one at each entrance of the church. After the service started, we got everyone inside to warm up, then re-established a single flag line outside as the service was about to end. When the casket was coming out, we rendered a salute as it was being placed into the hearse.

The funeral home had a lead vehicle with lights and a siren to lead the way, followed by the bikes, cages, hearse, and family vehicles. It was nice to see almost all the bikes flying flags of some sort. We arrived at the cemetery and set up another flag line for the family to walk along as they took their place at the burial canopy. Members of the VFW provided military honors (3-shot volley and "Taps"), and an Army Honor Guard squad did the folding of the flag and subsequent presentation . RCIC Buddy Palla and PGR member Carol Varner presented the condolence book and a coin to Mrs. Carter. The plaque will be presented to her next week as soon as it arrives.

Once the service was over, we set up a dual flag line along the steps leading away from the grave site, and as Mrs. Carter came by, we once again rendered a hand salute in her honor.

I would like to thank Senior Pastor Flanagan and the staff at Christ Church UM for welcoming us with open arms. I would also like to thank the folks from Barlow-Bonsall Funeral Home for working with us so well. It was evident that both of these groups had the interests of the Carter family at heart.