Carey enlisted in the
United States Navy's
V-5 aviation cadet program in 1945. With the discontinuance of the V-5 program, he was discharged and enlisted in the Marine Corps and advanced to the rank of
sergeant prior to his commissioning as a
second lieutenant in 1948. As a rifle platoon commander, he participated in combat in the
Korean War in the
1st Marine Division, including the
Battle of Inchon and the
Battle of Chosin Reservoir. He earned the
Silver Star medal while serving as commander of Weapons Company,
3rd Battalion, 1st Marines on March 23, 1951, prior to his medical evacuation to the United States after being wounded in action. In 1951, Carey served for a year as a company commander at the
Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina, and then reported to
Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, for flight training. After his designation as a Naval Aviator in 1953, Carey held a variety of squadron pilot and staff assignments including separate tours as an intelligence, maintenance, material and logistics officer in both attack and fighter squadrons. He also served as the Assistant G-4 (Logistics) for the
2nd Marine Division and spent one tour as the Aviation Logistics Officer, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Air,
Headquarters Marine Corps. He also had assignments in that area at the squadron, group, wing and air station levels. As a colonel, he also served as the Battle Staff Chief in the Office of the Commander-in-Chief, Pacific and later as the G-3 Officer,
Fleet Marine Force, Pacific. he then served on the staff of the
1st Marine Aircraft Wing at
Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam. As a
colonel in 1971, he commanded
Marine Aircraft Group 24, with the
1st Marine Brigade at
Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay Hawaii. Following his promotion to
brigadier general on July 1, 1974, Carey became assistant wing commander, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing,
Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. In 1975, he concurrently commanded the
9th Marine Amphibious Brigade where he directed the Marine Corps participation in
Operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of
Saigon. Upon his return to the United States, Carey served as the assistant deputy chief of staff for aviation, Headquarters Marine Corps, where he was promoted to
major general on March 2, 1976, and served there until he was assigned duty as commanding general of the
2nd Marine Aircraft Wing at MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina, in July 1976. In June 1978 he was assigned duty as deputy chief of staff,
Commander in Chief, Atlantic,
Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. He was promoted to
lieutenant general on October 24, 1980 and assumed duty as commanding general,
Marine Corps Development & Education Command,
Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. He served in this capacity until his retirement on March 1, 1983. Carey was a graduate of the
Naval War College and held a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from
George Washington University. ==Later life and death==