Kammala jumla mai zuwa: An koyar da shi a Makarantar St. Paul, New Hampshire, kuma ya halarci Jami'ar Yale, inda ya kasance memba na ƙungiyar Scroll and Key, kuma a matsayin babban jami'in an ba shi lambar yabo ta Alpheus Henry Snow. Bayan kammala karatunsa a shekarar 1942, ya shiga cikin Rundunar Sojojin Ruwa ta 22 kuma ya yi yaƙi a Yakin Pacific; ya shiga cikin
Yaƙin Eniwetok, kuma a cikin Yaƙin Guam a matsayin shugaban rukuni, ya rasa idonsa na hagu a cikin harin bindiga. Ya zama na farko na farko kuma an ba shi lambar yabo ta Bronze Star. Ya ba da labarin abubuwan da ya fuskanta a lokacin yaƙi, ya rubuta don "The Atlantic Monthly".