vˈɜːmjuːl ˈɛntɚd hˈɑːɹvɚd jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi θɹˈiː, ɪnðə sˈeɪm jˈɪɹ æz hɪz fˈɑːðɚz sˈuːɪsˌaɪd ænd ðə kəntˈɪnjuːd ˌɛskɐlˈeɪʃən ʌv wˈɜːld wˈɔːɹ ɹˌoʊmən tˈuː pɹˈɑːmptᵻd hˌɪm tə dʒˈɔɪn ðə juːnˈaɪɾᵻd stˈeɪts ˈɑːɹmi.
Vermeule entered Harvard University in 1943, in the same year as his father's suicide and the continued escalation of World War II prompted him to join the United States Army.