Kammala wannan magana: Wani digiri na 1933 na B.M.C. Durfee High School, Zais ya halarci Jami'ar New Hampshire kuma ya kammala digiri tare da digiri na Bachelor of Arts a Kimiyyar Siyasa. A lokacin shekararsa ta farko, ya yi karatu a Jami'ar Jihar Louisiana a matsayin babban malamin aikin jarida kafin ya koma UNH. A shekara ta 1937 an ba shi izini na biyu a cikin Rundunar Sojan Amurka. A cikin 1940 ya kasance memba na rukunin Parachute na asali wanda daga baya ya zama 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment. A lokacin yakin duniya na biyu, Zais ya kasance kwamandan na 3rd Battalion kuma, daga baya, jami'in zartarwa na 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment, yana fada a Italiya, a
Kudancin Faransa, da kuma a yakin Bulge.