▁Am ity ▁Regional ▁Senior ▁High ▁School ▁in ▁Wood bridge . ▁One ▁of ▁two ▁children , ▁C ô té ▁had ▁an ▁" ad vent ure - filled " ▁child hood . ▁▁ ▁C ô té ' s ▁Dublin - born ▁mother ▁and ▁his ▁Québec - born ▁grand m other , ▁Ger tr ude ▁Be a udo in ▁C ô té , ▁often ▁read ▁to ▁him . ▁He ▁quickly ▁became ▁fasc in ated ▁with ▁The ▁Harvard ▁Class ics ▁and ▁read ▁the ▁complete ▁Encyclop ædia ▁Britannica ▁in ▁his ▁te en ▁years . ▁His ▁mother , ▁a ▁part - time ▁journalist , ▁let ▁him ▁use ▁her ▁type writer , ▁and ▁by ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁twelve , ▁he ▁was ▁typing ▁most ▁of ▁his ▁school ▁papers . ▁ ▁C ô té ▁attended ▁Butler ▁University ▁in ▁Indian apolis , ▁Indiana ▁where ▁he ▁major ed ▁in ▁political ▁science ▁and ▁journal ism ▁and ▁became ▁passion ate ▁about ▁phot ography , ▁Greek ▁and ▁Roman ▁myth ology , ▁and ▁writing . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 4 ▁he ▁was ▁induct ed ▁into ▁S igma ▁D elta ▁Chi , ▁the ▁national ▁journal ism ▁frat ern ity , ▁and ▁was ▁awarded ▁a ▁scholar ship ▁for ▁his ▁work ▁as ▁the ▁university ' s ▁newspaper ▁photograph er . ▁ ▁After ▁college , ▁C ô té ▁served ▁six ▁years ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Air ▁Force . ▁ ▁He ▁spent ▁a ▁year ▁at ▁M ather ▁Air ▁Force ▁Base , ▁California , ▁and ▁then ▁volunte ered ▁to ▁serve ▁in ▁the ▁Vietnam ▁War . ▁At ▁Da ▁N ang ▁Air ▁Base ▁he