▁the ▁female ▁d orm itory ▁and ▁lost ▁his ▁student ▁de fer ment ▁in ▁the ▁midst ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁ ▁Le ary ▁was ▁draft ed ▁into ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Army ▁and ▁received ▁basic ▁training ▁at ▁Fort ▁E ust is ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 3 . ▁He ▁remained ▁in ▁the ▁non - comm ission ed ▁officer ▁track ▁while ▁en rolled ▁in ▁the ▁psych ology ▁sub section ▁of ▁the ▁Army ▁Special ized ▁Training ▁Program , ▁including ▁three ▁months ▁of ▁study ▁at ▁Ge or get own ▁University ▁and ▁six ▁months ▁at ▁Ohio ▁State ▁University . ▁ ▁With ▁limited ▁need ▁for ▁officers ▁late ▁in ▁the ▁war , ▁Le ary ▁was ▁briefly ▁assigned ▁as ▁a ▁private ▁first ▁class ▁to ▁the ▁Pacific ▁War - bound ▁ 2 d ▁Com bat ▁C argo ▁Group ▁( which ▁he ▁later ▁character ized ▁as ▁" a ▁suic ide ▁command ... ▁whose ▁main ▁mission , ▁as ▁far ▁as ▁I ▁could ▁see , ▁was ▁to ▁eliminate ▁the ▁entire ▁civil ian ▁branch ▁of ▁American ▁av iation ▁from ▁post - war ▁rival ry ") ▁at ▁Sy rac use ▁Army ▁Air ▁Base ▁in ▁Mat ty dale , ▁New ▁York . ▁After ▁a ▁f ateful ▁re union ▁with ▁R ams d ell ▁( who ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁Des hon ▁General ▁Hospital ▁in ▁Butler , ▁Pennsylvania ▁as ▁chief ▁psych ologist ) ▁in ▁Buff alo , ▁New ▁York , ▁he ▁was ▁promoted ▁to ▁corpor al ▁and ▁re ass igned ▁to ▁his ▁ment or ' s ▁command ▁as ▁a ▁staff ▁psych ometric ian . ▁He ▁remained ▁in ▁Des hon '