Edwin J. Canter

Year Inducted: 2015

Edwin J. Canter was born in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina on December 31, 1920. He graduated from Millers Creek High School in 1938. Canter enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserves in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on July 7, 1942, and attended boot camp training at Parris Island, South Carolina. Upon completion of his military career, Canter attended Appalachian State University graduating with an undergraduate degree in 1952 and received a Master’s Degree in 1957.

Mr. Canter’s recognition and accomplishments began during his military career. After boot camp at Parris Island, he was assigned to Sea School at Portsmouth, Virginia. He was then assigned to a platoon of Marines on the cruiser USS Santa Fe, which participated in shore bombardment of Attu and Kiska in the Aleutian Island. After a short time, he was transferred to Camp Elliot in California and then moved to Oahu, Hawaii. Canter received rocket training at Camp Beaumont. Next, he was assigned to the 4th Marine Division as a member of the 1st Rocket Detachment, which participated in the Invasion of Saipan, Tinian and Iwo Jima. On March 5, 1945, while serving on Iwo Jima, Mr. Canter was wounded twice. He received the Asiatic-Pacific Presidential Unit Citation, as well as a Purple Heart for his service.

Returning to Wilkes County after the Marines, Canter became another kind of hero, a hero to Wilkes County school children. He worked with the Wilkes County School System for 35 years. His tenure included teaching at Mountain View Elementary, 8 years; North Wilkes High School, 5 years, principal; Fairplains Elementary School, 2 years, principal; and Wilkesboro Elementary School, 20 years, principal. Canter retired from the Wilkes County School System on June 30, 1984.

Canter has maintained membership in many community organizations. Among those are: Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1142, Wilkes Business and Professional Club, American Legion, Kiwanis Club, and Marine Corps League Post 1189. He was a charter member of the Brushy Mountain Fire Department and also the Brushy Mountain Ruritan Club. Canter continues to be an active participant in many of the above mentioned community organizations, as well as Wilkesboro United Methodist Church where he has been a member since 1959. Canter has also been an active member of the Wilkes County Retired Teacher’s organization since his retirement from public education.

Edwin J. Canter and Ruth Bridges, who was from Forest City, North Carolina, were married on June 18, 1948, in Boone, North Carolina. They were both seniors at Appalachian State University when they married. Their daughter Rachel lives in Greensboro, North Carolina with her husband Jack Yarbrough and their two children, Ryan and Rebecca.