William G. Cater
Humboldt Standard
Tuesday, April 24, 1945 pg. 1 “Samoa Youth Killed In Action: During Drive Toward Berlin” Corporal William Grant Cater, 28, shown on the right of the picture with his brother, Corporal Raymond Cater, was killed March 21 in action in Germany. He was a paratroopist with the group that spearheaded General Patton and Hodge’s drive toward Berlin and is the first servicemen who had spent his boyhood in Samoa to be killed in action. Cpl. Cater had been overseas four months, leaving the states last November after visiting his father, Grant Cater, electrician for the Hammond Lumber Company. The serviceman was born at Westwood and joined the Army in San Francisco three years ago. He trained at Fort Lewis, Washington, and spent two years at Fort Richardson, Alaska, and was transferred to Dutch Harbor, arriving just a half hour after the Japs had left. Later he joined a tank outfit at Fort Elisa, Texas, and was stationed there for six months. He was transferred to Fort Benning, Georgia, where he volunteered as a paratrooper while he was serving with a demolition squad. WAS BOY SCOUT Cater attended school in Samoa and the Arcata High school, was a member, when a youth, of Boy Scout Troop 18. He was employed four years as a block setter for the Hammond Lumber Company. Surviving in addition to his father and brother, Raymond, are his mother, Mrs. Thelma Peterson of Oakland; grandmother, Mrs. William Snow of Santa Rosa; an uncle, Lloyd Snook of Samoa. Corporal Raymond Cater, 24, is stationed at an Army Air Force base in India, having been overseas since last December. Raymond Cater joined the army in 1940 in San Francisco, trained at Fort Lewis, Washington, and went to Fort Benning, Georgia, where he became a paratrooper, and was transferred to Panama for several months. He was injured in a jump when three paratroopers tangled in the air. He was home on furlough 18 months ago and was surprised to see his brother, also home on furlough, two days after his arrival. The picture with this article was taken at that time. Raymond Cater was born at Fort Bragg, attended school in Samoa and the Arcata High school. |