ɛnlˈɪstᵻd ɪnðə juːnˈaɪɾᵻd stˈeɪts mɚɹˈiːn kˈɔːɹ əpˌɑːn ðɪ ˈaʊtbɹeɪk ʌv wˈɜːld wˈɔːɹ ˈaɪ. ˈæftɚ ɹᵻsˈiːvɪŋ ɐdˈɪʃənəl ˌeɪvɪˈeɪʃən tɹˈeɪnɪŋ, hiː wʌz kəmˈɪʃənd ɐ sˈɛkənd luːtˈɛnənt ænd ɐsˈaɪnd tə ðə fˈɜːst mɚɹˈiːn ˈɛɹ skwˈɑːdɹən wˌɪtʃ dᵻplˈɔɪd tə fɹˈæns æz ðə nˈuːli ɹᵻnˈeɪmd fˈɜːst mɚɹˈiːn ˌeɪvɪˈeɪʃən fˈoːɹs ɪn dʒuːlˈaɪ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪtiːn.
Enlisted in the United States Marine Corps upon the outbreak of World War I. After receiving additional aviation training, he was commissioned a second lieutenant and assigned to the First Marine Air Squadron which deployed to France as the newly renamed 1st Marine Aviation Force in July 1918.