Veteran's final voyage fulfilling

RPV's Carter was sailor to the end

by Nick Green
Staff Writer
Daily Breeze

Jack Carter, a 37-year Rancho Palos Verdes resident who made national news in January for his role in successfully sailing a rusty World War II-era ship to the United States from Europe with a grizzled crew of war veterans, has died of cancer.

He was 71.

"It was a dream he adopted toward the latter part of his life," said friend Ted Vegvari of nonprofit group Palos Verdes on the Net, where Carter volunteered for the past several years. "The man was the epitome of commitment. He never ever stopped trying."

Although the gray-bearded Carter told Stars and Stripes early in the physically demanding six-week voyage from Athens, Greece, that he felt better than he had in a dozen years, he later began feeling ill and was diagnosed with lymphoma after his Jan. 10 return to the United States. He died Feb. 20, shortly after beginning cancer treatment.

A memorial service begins at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Fort MacArthur chapel, 30th Street and Pacific Avenue in San Pedro.

Born Jackson Radcliffe Carter Jr. in St. Paul, Minn., on July 31, 1929, he graduated from the University of Minnesota with undergraduate and graduate degrees in metallurgy.

A commander of a Navy landing ship tank during the Korean War, he was also a member of the Naval Reserves for 40 years.

After his military service, Carter was an engineer for 40 years, including 32 with TRW.

A ham radio operator, he served three years as president of the 100-member Palos Verdes Amateur Radio Club and was instrumental in keeping the organization going, said past president Dan Colburn, who will give the eulogy at Carter's funeral.

"He was a serious ham," Colburn said, adding that Carter was an avid "DXer" -- someone who tries to contact other hams around the world. "He would get up at 4 a.m. to work a station in Egypt or Israel or the Middle East. They are hard to get, but Jack got them all."

Carter also volunteered at Palos Verdes on the Net almost daily for the past two years, where he taught children's workshops and was in charge of Web design for nonprofit groups.

Both his ham radio and computer skills came in handy during the effort to return a landing ship like the one he served on in Korea back to the United States, a trip authorities advised against because of the age of the crew and vessel.

As executive officer of the 29-person crew that Carter dubbed the "geriatric Navy" -- the average age was 72 -- he created a Web site at Palos Verdes on the Net so people could follow the voyage.

During the arduous trip on the barely seaworthy craft, he caused what's known as a pile-up in ham radio circles, as fellow hams around the world clamored to talk with Carter and add the temporary station to their list of contacts, Colburn said. Carter was instrumental in cutting through government red tape and finding contributions to bring the vessel to Mobile, Ala., where it will be restored as a floating museum.

"He was very passionate about his trip," said Pamela Piller, who maintained the Web site during Carter's absence. "His whole heart and being was into it and I admired him for it."

Upon his return, Carter appeared on "Good Morning America" and other national television programs recounting the voyage.

"It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and once is enough," a proud Carter told the Daily Breeze last month.

"It was almost like reliving part of my life again," he added, recalling watches spent bracing himself against rolling waves just as he had almost a half-century ago. "Then you look in the mirror and realize it's not all the same."

Survivors include his wife of 40 years, Jeanne; daughters, Christine Carter of San Pedro and Sara Carter of Torrance; and a cousin, Rusty Carter of Tualatin, Ore.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the American Cancer Society, 5731 W. Slauson Ave., Culver City, CA 90230.

Palos Verdes on the Net is also creating a Web page in Carter's memory.  Contributions should be e-mailed to InMemoryof@palosverdes.com.

article courtesy Daily Breeze, February 28, 2001

Jack R. Carter, KC6WYX, SK

Jack Carter, KC6WYX, of Rancho Palos Verdes, California, died February 20. He was 71. An Amateur Radio Relay League member, Carter served as executive officer of the World War II Tank Landing Ship LST-325, which recently completed a 4200-mile journey from the Greek island of Crete to Mobile, Alabama, and gained extensive news coverage en route. 

Carter had ham radio gear aboard and used the WW2LST call sign of the USS LST Amateur Radio Club while under way. According to a report in Stars and Stripes, 29 sailors--men in their 60s, 70s and older--signed on to deliver the ship to a permanent berth to be used as a floating museum. Most of the sailors were US Navy retirees. 

Carter, an electrical engineer, was past president of the Palos Verdes Amateur Radio Club. For details of Carter's "voyage of a lifetime," photos of the voyage, and information on the PVARC, visit the club's Web site, www.palosverdes.com/pvarc/ .

reprinted from ARRL Letter, February 23, 2001