▁in ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁in ▁the ▁w an ing ▁days ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁ ▁He ▁took ▁the ▁tests ▁that ▁qualified ▁him ▁for ▁training ▁as ▁a ▁pilot , ▁navig ator ▁or ▁bomb ard ier , ▁however ▁the ▁war ▁ended ▁and ▁those ▁schools ▁were ▁shut ▁down ▁before ▁he ▁could ▁begin ▁training . ▁ ▁Instead , ▁he ▁went ▁to ▁weather ▁school ▁at ▁Chan ute ▁Field ▁in ▁Illinois . ▁ ▁On ▁finishing ▁that , ▁he ▁had ▁the ▁option ▁of ▁stay ing ▁at ▁Chan ute ▁Field ▁to ▁attend ▁forec ast ing ▁school , ▁however , ▁that ▁would ▁have ▁ent a iled ▁becoming ▁an ▁officer ▁and ▁stay ing ▁in ▁the ▁army ▁longer . ▁ ▁Since ▁the ▁war ▁was ▁over , ▁getting ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁army ▁as ▁soon ▁as ▁possible ▁seemed ▁more ▁important ▁to ▁him , ▁so ▁he ▁opt ed ▁to ▁for ego ▁forec ast ing ▁school . ▁ ▁Instead ▁he ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁Japan ▁where ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁an ▁Air ▁Corps ▁we ath erman ▁for ▁six ▁months ▁before ▁being ▁dis charg ed ▁after ▁ 1 8 ▁months ▁of ▁total ▁service . ▁ ▁Education ▁Upon ▁leaving ▁the ▁Air ▁Corps , ▁Ab ell ▁returned ▁to ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁and ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁gas ▁station ▁att endant ▁while ▁waiting ▁to ▁start ▁school ▁at ▁the ▁California ▁Institute ▁of ▁Technology ▁( Cal tech ). ▁ ▁At ▁Cal tech , ▁Ab ell ▁studied ▁physics ▁his ▁fresh man ▁year . ▁ ▁However , ▁the ▁next ▁year ▁Cal tech ▁inaugur ated ▁its ▁astronom y ▁department ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁s oph om ore ▁he ▁switched