(October 23, 1923 - June 28, 1974) was an American actor who is best remembered for his role as the loud, hard-nosed drill instructor Sergeant Vincent Carter on the CBS television series Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.

Gunnery Sergeant Vincent J. Carter is Gomer's stern, yet soft at heart (as shown in season 3,episode 10 Cold Nose, Warm Heart), drill instructor. He was born and raised on May 4, 1928, in Wichita, Kansas, in a town not far from Leavenworth. Carter takes his role very seriously, as evidenced by the stripes he's earned (and is sometimes obsessed with) over the years. Carter is forever exasperated by Gomer’s ineptitude and refusal to surrender his naïve point of view and would like nothing better than to see Gomer transferred. He is always referred to as "Sergeant Carter," although under actual U.S. Marine Corps protocol, he would be addressed as “Gunnery Sergeant Carter" or the informal "Gunny Carter". In the episode, "How to Succeed in Farming Without Really Trying," Carter does specify his correct rank.

There seems to be some inconsistency concerning Carter’s age and time in the Marine Corps. By the beginning of the series, Carter had been in the Marine Corps for 16 years, which means he would have entered the service in 1948, when he would have been about 20. However, he wears the World War II Victory ribbon which was awarded to the Armed Forces through Dec. 31, 1946. In the episode "Old Man Carter" (season 1, episode 24), aired on 26 February 1965, he is said to be 35 years old. However, at the end of the show, Gomer discovers Carter subtracted incorrectly and was actually 36 years old, and not 35 as he believed. Carter also reveals to his men he joined the Marines in 1946. Therefore, his time in the service by 1965 would have been between 18 and 19 years. This would put him at the age of 18 when he joined. In the second episode he reveals that he has earned five Good Conduct medals, was cited for bravery in Korea and has had three honor platoons in a row. In "Come Blow Your Top" (Season 5, Episode 9), it is revealed Carter owns a sword from an enemy officer which he stated he captured at the Battle of Inchon (1950). At that time he was a corporal. (Later in that episode, though, he admits he won the sword in a card game while at Inchon.) In "A Tattoo for Gomer" (Season 5, Episode 15), Carter reveals he was with the 7th Fleet in Korea where he got his Semper Fidelis tattoo (upper right arm), but did not mention the year.

Carter wears his emotions on his sleeve. He has an explosive temper with a short fuse, which is triggered at the first sign of angst. This feature, in combination with Pyle's genial nature and naivete, drive the show's plot in most episodes. Carter also expresses happiness and fear in dramatic fashion. His emotions also become a source of tension between him and his girlfriend, Miss Bunny Wilson. Despite Carter's desire to see Pyle out of his life, it is apparent he cares for Pyle and wants him to successfully fulfill his service in the Corps. Carter is Gomer's best friend and by the end of the show's run, it is obvious that Gomer is his.

Sutton was born in Clarksville, Tennessee in 1923. When he was eight years old, his father took a position as a linotype operator at the Nashville Tennessean in Nashville. While growing up in Nashville, he developed an interest in acting, earning his first role in at the age of nine. He later commented, "The first time I walked out on a stage, I had a warm feeling. I knew then I wanted to be an actor." However, the joy of learning his new craft was diminished during this time by the death of his father.

After Sutton graduated from East Nashville High School, he returned to Clarksville to become a radio disc jockey, then enlisted in the United States Army during World War II, and after basic training, was sent to the South Pacific, taking part in 14 assault landings.

Upon his release from the service, he made his professional debut in a Pennsylvania stock company production of "The Barretts of Wimpole Street" in 1947. In 1949 he married Toby Igler. He then attended Columbia University, where he graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in drama in 1952.

Throughout the next decade, he played small roles in such television shows as Route 66, Naked City, The Fugitive, Gunsmoke and The Untouchables, often playing characters much older. He had a continuing role as Cadet Eric Rattison, the great rival of the "Polaris Unit" manned by the series' heroes, in TV's Tom Corbett, Space Cadet, from 1950 to 1955. In 1955, he received his big break in the Academy Award-winning movie Marty, playing the role of the title character's best friend, Ralph. He also had a role in The Satan Bug, a 1965 spy thriller.

After returning to the stage in The Andersonville Trial in the early 1960s, Sutton then achieved lasting recognition when he landed the role of Sergeant Carter on an episode of The Andy Griffith Show entitled "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C." in 1964. This episode led to a spin-off television series of the same name, where Sutton continued the role for five seasons, until the show ended its run in 1969. During the run of the show, he was made an honorary sergeant by the U.S. Marine Corps in recognition of his entertainment performances at camps, hospitals and bases.He also appeared in Public Service Commercials in the role of Sergeant Carter.

His friendship with co-star Jim Nabors continued when Nabors hosted a variety of series beginning in 1969, and lasted into the 1970s.

After Gomer Pyle, Sutton went on to perform in dinner theater and made guest appearances on other television programs. While preparing for a performance of the comedy Luv at the Beverly Barn Dinner Playhouse in Shreveport, Louisiana, he died of a heart attack at the age of 50. Actor Ronnie Schell, who portrayed Duke Slater on the Gomer Pyle show related in a DVD voice-over that Sutton smoked 17 Brazilian cigars every day and drank approximately 18 cups of coffee. These remarks were made on the commentary track for the episode "Gomer And The Dragon Lady," from Season 1. He was, according to Schell, very much a type A personality. Sutton was buried in his hometown of Clarksville.

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