▁United ▁States ▁Coast ▁Guard , ▁later ▁transfer ring ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Marine ▁Corps , ▁where ▁he ▁trained ▁as ▁a ▁f ighter ▁pilot , ▁developing ▁a ▁reputation ▁as ▁a ▁' hot ▁pilot ' ▁( f am ously ▁looping ▁the ▁Golden ▁Gate ▁Bridge ). ▁He ▁served ▁on ▁the ▁ill - f ated ▁USS ▁Franklin ▁in ▁the ▁VM F - 4 5 2 ▁" S ky ra iders " ▁Squadron , ▁for ▁which ▁he ▁designed ▁the ▁unit ' s ▁logo . ▁When ▁the ▁Franklin ▁was ▁bom bed ▁and ▁nearly ▁destroyed ▁on ▁ 1 9 ▁March ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁his ▁C ors air ▁was ▁described ▁as ▁' the ▁last ▁plane ▁off ▁Big ▁Ben .' ▁ ▁After ▁flying ▁over ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁hours , ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁civil ian ▁life , ▁seeking ▁an ▁education ▁via ▁the ▁G . I . ▁Bill ▁rather ▁than ▁continu ing ▁a ▁life ▁in ▁music . ▁He ▁took ▁degrees ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Chicago ▁and ▁Columbia ▁University , ▁then ▁proceeded ▁with ▁his ▁new ▁wife ▁F ay ▁to ▁the ▁UK ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 9 , ▁under ▁a ▁Ful br ight ▁Sch olar ship . ▁He ▁completed ▁multiple ▁degrees ▁at ▁both ▁Oxford ▁and ▁Cambridge , ▁and ▁stayed ▁in ▁Britain ▁to ▁continue ▁teaching ▁and ▁writing . ▁ ▁Hans on ▁left ▁the ▁life ▁of ▁a ▁Cambridge ▁don ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 7 , ▁found ing ▁the ▁Indiana ▁University ▁Department ▁of ▁History ▁and ▁Philosoph y ▁of ▁Science , ▁the ▁first ▁of