by Cole Taylor
Veteran’s Day to most is a day of remembrance, honor, and celebration of those who valiantly put their lives on the line in defense of the United States. For U.S. Navy veteran and OBU student John Carter, however, the day serves as something deeper. It is a reminder of God’s provision and guidance through every season of life. For Carter, Veteran’s Day is both solemn and hopeful. Originally, Carter never imagined himself in uniform.
“My passion is, or was, at that time, carpentry,” Carter said. “I saw myself doing that, learning the trade, and becoming a tradesman.”
Through personal connections in Shawnee, Carter landed a job working in the carpentry shop at OBU. It was there that he discovered he could attend college for nearly no cost, fueling his ambition for education and a steady career. But those plans changed in an instant.
On September 11th, 2001, while carrying a door through the halls of a men’s residence dorm, Carter witnessed the destruction of the Twin Towers on live television.
“I have a lot of family members who served in Vietnam, and I really valued their service, but it was the idea of putting on the uniform every day that I didn’t like,” Carter said. “But that day was like my Pearl Harbor moment, I was inspired to join.”
After conversations about where he might serve best, Carter enlisted in the Navy Seabees, a civil engineering team that does construction in combat zones. “
I love carpentry, and that’s a job I can do in the military, so I went into that field. Win, win.” Carter also had a love for auto-mechanics and had taken several classes at Vo-Tech. When he arrived at the Navy school of mechanics, he graduated at the top of his class. Because of this, he was reassigned from the construction battalion to Special Warfare, a more elite and demanding post.
During his time in Special Warfare, he traveled the world, traveling to Puerto Rico, Spain, Bahrain, Guam, Japan, and Iraq.
Yet amid the travel and training, Carter said God’s hand was still guiding him. He explained that although he came to faith as a child, his time in the military tested that faith.
“I would not have gone to San Diego if I wouldn’t have joined the military, so I thank God for bringing me to the one who was meant for me,” Carter said, reflecting on meeting his wife during his service. But his time overseas in Iraq proved to be one of the most difficult seasons of his life. Separated from his wife, Carter wrestled with loneliness, long-distance arguments, and even talks of separation.
“I was frustrated day after day because of these marital issues,” he said. “And it all culminated into this single piece of paper on the ground.” That moment came on a scorching 125-degree day in Iraq, when Carter and his team were assigned to clean out a massive shipping container.
“We had to clean out one of those big, long shipping containers,” Carter said. “I was sweeping all of the dust out, I was almost done, but there was this one piece of paper.”
Try as he might, he couldn’t sweep the paper into the dustpan. Finally, out of frustration, he bent down to pick it up. Before crumpling it in his hand, he glanced at the other side, and froze. The paper was a biblical counseling tract on how to save a marriage, complete with scripture references and practical, faith-based advice.
“I realized that my military lifestyle was tearing my marriage apart,” Carter said. “But I also realized that God was always chasing me. God had never given up on me, and at that point, I felt like the lamb that Jesus left the 99 for.”
The image Carter refers to comes from Luke 15:3–7, where Jesus tells the story of a shepherd who leaves ninety-nine sheep to find the one that has gone astray. When he finds it, he rejoices.
Carter sees himself in that story. He was the lost sheep, and God, the good shepherd, never stopped pursuing him, even when he ran.
Today, Carter views Veteran’s Day with both sorrow and joy. It brings sadness because it reminds him of a time when he drifted from God. Yet it also fills him with gratitude, because the same God who sought him in the desert of Iraq never abandoned him.
After leaving the military, Carter served as a firefighter before enrolling at OBU, where he is now pursuing a degree in Family Science.
Both he and his wife have recommitted their lives to Christ and now serve as board members for Worley’s Haven, a sober living home for women seeking recovery. Carter also works with Community Renewal, teaching fatherhood classes and using the skills he’s gained through carpentry, the military, and education to invest in others.
For Carter, Veteran’s Day is more than a day of remembrance; it’s a symbol of grace. It reminds him where he has been, and of the God who carried him through.
His story stands as a testament not only to service and sacrifice, but also to redemption, faith, and the unwavering love of a God who never abandons His people.
