Carter was also awarded the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the American Defense Service Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal, during his US service in WWII.
While in Shanghai in 1932, Carter ran away from home and joined the Chinese Nationalist Army fighting against invading Japanese during the Shanghai Incident. He eventually had to leave the Nationalist Army because he was only 15. He eventually made his way to Europe and joined the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, which was an American volunteer unit supporting the Spanish Loyalists fighting against General Francisco Franco's regime during the Spanish Civil War.