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This museum serves as a dedication to the 12th Armored Division that served in the second world war. Its goal is to be a teaching museum preserving the memory of the division and educating children through the use of historical artifacts. The museum also studies the effect of the war on American civilization.
This post is photo-heavy.
Edward Allen Carter Jr. (May 26, 1916 – January 30, 1963) was a United States Army staff sergeant who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during March 1945 during World War II. He was one of seven African-American soldiers who was awarded the Medal of Honor on January 13, 1997, by President Bill Clinton.
Carter had entered the Army on September 26, 1941. As a result of his previous combat experience, he stood out among the other recruits. In less than a year, he had achieved the rank of staff sergeant.
He was a member of a unique type of organization — the Seventh Army Infantry Company Number 1 (Provisional), 56th Armored Infantry Battalion, 12th Armored Division near Speyer, Germany.
The provisional companies generally were established during and in the wake of, the Battle of the Bulge, which took place during the winter of 1944–1945. Black support and combat-support soldiers, and some whites were allowed to volunteer for combat duty and were given training in small-unit tactics. Formed into provisional units, they were used to augment depleted divisions.
On March 23, 1945, Carter, a 28-year-old infantry staff sergeant, heroically acted when the tank on which he was riding was hit by bazooka fire. Dismounted, Carter led three soldiers across an open field. In the process, two of the men were killed and the other seriously wounded.
Carter continued alone and was wounded five times before being forced to take cover.
Eight German soldiers tried to capture him, but he killed six and captured the remaining two. He used the two captured Germans as a shield from enemy fire as he recrossed the field. His prisoners provided valuable information on enemy-troop disposition for his unit. For this he was awarded the Medal of Honor.
Carter was refused re-enlistment in Army in 1949 because of unfounded allegations that, as a result of his affiliation with the Abraham Lincoln Brigade and a Welcome Home Joe Dinner, he had communist contacts and allegiances He died of lung cancer on January 30, 1963, at the UCLA Medical Center and was buried in the Sawtelle National Cemetery in Los Angeles, California. He was re-buried at Arlington National Cemetery in 1997.
This is a museum I would thoroughly enjoy seeing. Thanks for sharing!
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