▁S asso ▁di ▁Cast al da , ▁Pet r one ▁was ▁raised ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁and ▁attended ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Military ▁Academy ▁at ▁West ▁Point . ▁There ▁he ▁played ▁def ensive ▁tack le ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁national ▁football ▁championship ▁winning ▁team . ▁Gr adu ating ▁with ▁a ▁Bach elor ▁of ▁Science ▁degree ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 6 , ▁he ▁served ▁in ▁West ▁Germany ▁from ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁to ▁ 1 9 5 0 . ▁ ▁He ▁also ▁earned ▁a ▁master ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁mechanical ▁engineering ▁from ▁the ▁Massachusetts ▁Institute ▁of ▁Technology ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 1 , ▁and ▁later ▁received ▁an ▁honor ary ▁doctor ate ▁from ▁Roll ins ▁College . ▁During ▁two ▁dec ades ▁with ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Army , ▁Pet r one ▁took ▁part ▁in ▁developing ▁the ▁Red stone ▁ro cket , ▁the ▁first ▁U . S . ▁ball istic ▁miss ile ▁and ▁the ▁vehicle ▁used ▁to ▁launch ▁America ' s ▁first ▁astr onaut s , ▁Alan ▁She p ard ▁and ▁G us ▁Gr iss om ▁on ▁their ▁sub orb ital ▁miss ions . ▁He ▁retired ▁from ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Army ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 6 ▁with ▁the ▁rank ▁of ▁lieutenant ▁colon el . ▁ ▁NASA ▁career ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁Pet r one ▁was ▁second ed ▁to ▁NASA . ▁There , ▁Pet r one ▁pres ided ▁over ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁Sat urn ▁V ▁launch ▁operations , ▁dub bing ▁the ▁period ▁of ▁prepar ation ▁leading