Enlisted in June 1942; service number 34237901. After basic training assigned to the Ordnance Proving Ground at Aberdeen, Maryland, for 13 weeks of specialized training and held over one month for the NCO Cadre Course. Promoted to corporal and assigned to Ordnance Medium Maintenance 62A, APO NY. Maintained and repaired tanks and artillery pieces in North Africa, Sicily, Yugoslavia, and Italy. Enroute from Naples to a mission in the Balkans survived a plane crash into the Adriatic and was rescued by Nazi resistance fighters. Reunited with US forces, promoted to sergeant, and reassigned to the Pacific Theater of Operations, serving in Guam and throughout the Philippines. Selected for assignment to Brisk Field work on rocket and jet propulsion projects. Discharged October 1945 after three-and-a-half years’ service and with 89 points. Awarded the Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, and Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal.