 Nyorai kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Rufus Herring akapinda Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina uko akaiswa muPi Kappa Phi fraternity pana February 3, 1939. Apedza kudzidza muchirimo cha1942, Rufus Herring akanyoresa muU.S. Naval Reserve uye gare gare akapinda Chikoro cheNaval Reserve Midshipman muNew York City. Pashure pokupiwa basa muchikamu che ensign muna December 1942, akagamuchira murairidzo weinjini yedhiziri paYunivhesiti yeIllinois, ichiteverwa nemirairo kuAmphibious Training Base paSolomon, Maryland. Muna August 1943 akatora basa rokutungamirira ngarava yainge ichangobva kupedzwa uye akaramba ari mukuru mukuru wayo mukati megore rinotevera nehafu. Herring akasimudzirwa kuva lieutenant, junior grade, muna March 1944 uye pakati paFebruary naJuly wegore iroro akapinda mukupinda kweKwajalein, Saipan, Tinian uye Guam. 