. ▁His ▁father , ▁Hol gar , ▁worked ▁for ▁the ▁Chicago , ▁Rock ▁Island ▁and ▁Pacific ▁Rail road ▁company . ▁Rud y ▁grew ▁up ▁on ▁ 6 7 th ▁Street ▁and ▁Ash land ▁Avenue , ▁studying ▁at ▁the ▁V oc ational ▁High ▁School ▁in ▁the ▁South ▁Side , ▁where ▁he ▁took ▁autom ot ive ▁shop ▁courses . ▁After ▁gradu ating ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 1 , ▁he ▁went ▁to ▁work ▁at ▁Rock ▁Island ▁as ▁a ▁fire man , ▁before ▁en list ing ▁in ▁the ▁army ▁as ▁a ▁military ▁engineer , ▁to ▁serve ▁in ▁the ▁Korean ▁War . ▁Bl adel ▁later ▁claimed ▁that ▁when ▁he ▁went ▁under ▁a ▁routine ▁check - up ▁in ▁the ▁military , ▁he ▁scored ▁an ▁I Q ▁of ▁ 1 4 5 . ▁While ▁in ▁South ▁Korea , ▁he ▁" host led " ▁locomot ives ▁in ▁a ▁round house , ▁sometimes ▁under ▁enemy ▁fire . ▁ ▁Short ly ▁after ▁returning ▁from ▁Korea , ▁Bl adel ▁got ▁in ▁a ▁motor cycle ▁accident , ▁the ▁inj uries ▁of ▁which ▁gave ▁him ▁a ▁very ▁specific ▁post ure . ▁Despite ▁this , ▁he ▁went ▁back ▁to ▁Rock ▁Island , ▁where ▁he ▁rose ▁stead ily ▁in ▁the ▁company ▁ranks . ▁However , ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 9 , ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Central ▁Rail road ▁shift ed ▁its ▁operations ▁away ▁from ▁N iles , ▁Michigan ▁to ▁a ▁new ▁yard ▁in ▁El kh art , ▁Indiana . ▁In ▁addition , ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁employees ▁would ▁be ▁loc als , ▁leaving ▁the ▁previous ▁ones ▁from ▁Michigan