He grew up in Bangor, Maine, where he graduated from the high school and then earned an appointment to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, in summer 1910.

Bryant then participated in the patrol cruises in the Caribbean and following the United States' entry into World War I, he sailed for Europe, where he took part in the naval operations with the British Grand Fleet.

He then spent three years with patrolling of West Coast of the United States and was promoted again to Lieutenant commander on June 5, 1924, and was appointed Assistant Naval Inspector of Ordnance at New York Shipbuilding Corporation at Camden, New Jersey.

Carleton was transferred to the Midvale Steel Corporation in Philadelphia in June 1925 and served as Naval Inspector of Ordnance until July 1926, when he was ordered to Camden Shipyard for duty in connection with fitting out of aircraft carrier USS Saratoga.

[1] He then served as Saratoga's gunnery officer under Captain Harry E. Yarnell in the Pacific Ocean until December 1930, when he was ordered to New Haven, Connecticut, for duty as Officer-in-Charge of the Navy Recruiting Station there.

[7][1][8] Bryant was promoted to Commander on June 30, 1934, and ordered as Naval Inspector of Ordnance to the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation at Quincy, Massachusetts, in March of the following year.

He returned to sea duty in February 1937, when he assumed command of patrol gunboat USS Charleston with whom he later took part in the exercise off the coast of Balboa, Panama.

While in this capacity, he continued in escort of fast troop convoys throughout the enemy waters infested with German U-boats until spring 1944 and received Legion of Merit with Combat "V" for his service.

[12][14][1][13][2] Bryant then assumed duty as Commander of the Center Support Group of the Western Naval Task Force during the amphibious invasion of Southern France in August 1944 and his units provided shore bombardment during the assault landings of elements of the U.S.