In 1968, Master was drafted into the Vietnam War where he served one year as a battalion surgeon in an Army combat unit and one year as post-surgeon for the U.S. Army's Military Intelligence School [REF].
During his medical years, Master often watched birds at Green Lawn Cemetery, a popular birding spot in Columbus, Ohio,[REF] He became a founding board member of the Ohio Ornithological Society in 2004 [REF].