Carter Rila - RIP

(For those who remember WebCat from his postings in the past, the following post has been made on the various website on which he participated.)

Our fellow collector Carter Rila (WebCat) passed away the morning of 30 Apr 09.

Carter was a cartographer by trade, pursued his craft with a passion, and took great satisfaction from these contributions to the National Defense. By avocation, he covered just about everything else. He was a historian, researcher, teacher, collector, Scouter, singer, mentor and friend.

His early years in Franklin, PA, on the banks of the Allegheny River, generated his interest in railroading and bridge engineering. Relocation to New Mexico stirred an interest in Mexico and the history of the Mexican Revolutions and the era of Pancho Villa and the US Punitive Expedition of 1914. Scouting and service as an adult Scout Leader fostered an interest in camping and outdoor skills and a passion for campfire and folk songs. His wanderings around the Southwest opened an interest in the lore and skills of the Cowboy and the lore of the Old West.

Carter was a Cold War soldier, serving as a U.S. Army Nike Missile technician on the East Coast and near Washington DC. He found access to the National Archives and immersed himself in the documentary treasures to be found there.

We knew Carter as an expert and teacher of things military - U.S. web and leather field and individual equipments; canteens and mess gear; first aid and Hospital Corps equipment and materials; aircrew survival gear, uniforms, intelligence and espionage activities, and in blacksmithing and metalwork. His interest in knives and other blades was as tools – Scout and other pocket knives, aircrew escape and survival knives, machetes and bolos, axes and entrenching tools – and he was a skilled axman. He tallied up years as a tireless researcher and reader, and gleaned countless personal histories of the common soldier of all wars for accounts and descriptions of the soldier’s experiences with the tools of the trade.

Carter was a member of the Company of Military Historians with many contributions to the Journal. His articles, and contributions to the works of other authors, have been published in magazines and books, and he currently has a collection of monographs on military blades available on the web.

During his last illness, he was still actively researching the works of reporters covering the activities of Pancho Villa and the U.S. / Mexican Border problems.

Carter was my mentor, collecting competitor and friend. He left us a rich legacy in historical research and documentation and in friendship. I, and the community, will miss him.

Carter, Rest In Peace.

Day is done, gone the sun
From the lakes, from the hills, from the sky
All is well, safely rest;
God is nigh.

GerryRA

I knew Carter since the 1970's, seeing him at gun shows in Maryland. He was an outstanding man and always chatted about our different research projects.

He will be missed. God Bless Carter.

Carter was certainly knowledgeable...and he gladly shared it. We did have our fun arguing about certain Collins machetes he said didnt exist, although I had one! :-)
Andy