▁He ▁loved ▁high ▁living , ▁and ▁he ▁loved ▁women , ▁too , ▁for ▁that ▁matter ; ▁he ' d ▁been ▁married ▁four ▁times ▁by ▁that ▁time . ▁He ▁drove ▁himself ▁fur iously ▁and ▁within ▁a ▁year ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁major ▁general . ▁Within ▁another ▁year ▁he ▁was ▁dead . ▁He ' d ▁given ▁all ▁he ▁had . ▁ ▁Military ▁career ▁ ▁Sign al ▁Corps ▁and ▁Air ▁Service ▁Old s ▁graduated ▁from ▁Central ▁High ▁School ▁in ▁Washington ▁D . C . ▁He ▁en list ed ▁in ▁the ▁A viation ▁Section , ▁Sign al ▁En list ed ▁Reserve ▁Corps ▁on ▁January ▁ 1 6 , ▁ 1 9 1 7 , ▁became ▁a ▁ser ge ant , ▁and ▁entered ▁pilot ▁training ▁at ▁the ▁Curt is ▁F lying ▁School , ▁New port ▁News , ▁Virginia . ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁he ▁received ▁his ▁Reserve ▁Military ▁A vi ator ▁rating ▁on ▁May ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 1 9 1 7 , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁had ▁entered ▁World ▁War ▁I . ▁ ▁On ▁June ▁ 7 , ▁ 1 9 1 7 , ▁he ▁was ▁commission ed ▁as ▁a ▁ 1 st ▁lieutenant ▁in ▁the ▁Sign al ▁Offic ers ▁Reserve ▁Corps . ▁His ▁first ▁assignment ▁was ▁as ▁commander ▁of ▁the ▁newly ▁organized ▁and ▁un tra ined ▁ 1 7 th ▁A ero ▁Squadron ▁at ▁Kelly ▁Field , ▁Texas , ▁on ▁August ▁ 2 . ▁The ▁next ▁day ▁the ▁squad ron ▁entra ined ▁for ▁Toronto , ▁Ontario , ▁Canada , ▁where ▁they ▁arrived ▁August ▁ 4 ▁to ▁begin ▁unit