My father was SP5 Norman Lee Carpenter. Born in Jackson Hole Wyoming September 14, 1940 and passed away in Coeur d’Alene Idaho October 21, 2016. He was the light of my life, a man who taught me so much about what a real man should be. He was the strongest man I knew and proud of his family. He married Billie Charlene Clardy, my mom, January 6, 1962 in Culver City, California. He was drafted into the Vietnam War April 2, 1966. He attended Basic Training at Fort Bliss in Texas while my mom stayed in California. He was then sent to Fort Bragg, North Carolina to serve out his draft, my mom joined him there. My mom always said my dad grew up there. In a short 2 years, their lives and marriage changed for the better. He had accumulated so much time off, that once he was released, he and my mom spent a month moving back across the country to California, seeing so much of the country. I have the scrap book she made of that trip. He was discharged of active duty in April of 1968 and was required to remain in the Army Reserves for 2 Terms of 2 years, then he received his Formal Honorable Discharge April 4, 1972. He was able to get his GED while in the Military on July 1, 1966, he was always glad he did that. My dad was a still photographer at Fort Bragg NC, he actually was working at Metro Goldwyn Mayer, MGM Studios, when he was drafted, as a negative cutter, but he learned so much more as a still photographer. His job was not always easy, sometimes taking pictures of our fallen soldiers when they arrived back on US soil. My father went back to MGM Studio’s to finish out a long career in the film industry after returning from Fort Bragg NC. Sadly, my mom passed in December 1989. He met a lady and remarried in September 1995, but sadly that marriage didn’t last. He is missed by many, me his only child, his grandsons, his long list of cousins, and his brother. I was blessed to be his daughter, to hear his stories of his life, to learn so many things from him, to feel his love for me and see his love for others.
I am the proud daughter of SP5 Norman Lee Carpenter.
We honor you, Norman Carpenter.