Carl Cooper was born on a peach farm in Clanton AL. He was one of eleven children. He had a football scholarship at Howard College majoring in Biology when Pearl Harbor was attacked. He immediately enlisted into the Marine Corps. He trained in California leaving there for the Battle of Guadalcanal. On April 1 1945 he led in the invasion of Okinawa, the bloodiest battle in the Pacific. He left Okinawa on July 4 for Guam to prepare for the invasion of Japan, which was avoided by President Truman. Cooper returned from WW II and completed his Bachelor's Degree and taught at Perry County High School until he was called back to active duty to serve during the Korean War. Upon returning  home, Cooper completed his Master's Degree from Vanderbilt's Peabody College and later earned his PhD in Education from the university of Alabama. Cooper was called back to active duty again and served in the Vietnam War. He retired from the Marine Corps April 1, 1980 and was appointed Regional Director of the Selective Service. He married James Anna Rutledge who he met at Howard College.