ˈæftɚ hiː ˈɜːnd hɪz kˈɑːlɪdʒ dᵻɡɹˈiː ɪn mᵻkˈænɪkəl ˌɛndʒɪnˈɪɹɪŋ, hiː dʒˈɔɪnd ðə jˈuː.ˈɛs. ˈɑːɹmi ænd wʌz ɐsˈaɪnd tə ðɪ ˌeɪvɪˈeɪʃən sˈɛkʃən, jˈuː.ˈɛs. sˈɪɡnəl kˈɔːɹ ðə mˈɪlətˌɛɹi ˌeɪvɪˈeɪʃən sˈɜːvɪs ʌvðə jˈuː.ˈɛs. ˈɑːɹmi fɹʌm nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹtiːn tə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪtiːn ænd ɐ dᵻɹˈɛkt ˈænsɛstɚɹ ʌvðə jˈuː.ˈɛs. ˈɛɹ fˈoːɹs.
After he earned his college degree in mechanical engineering, he joined the U.S. Army and was assigned to the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps (the military aviation service of the U.S. Army from 1914 to 1918 and a direct ancestor of the U.S. Air Force).