kˈeɪvˈeɪl wʌz ɡɹˈædjuːˌeɪɾᵻd fɹʌm lˈuːðɚ kˈɑːlɪdʒ ɪn dˈɛkoːɹə, ˈaɪəwə, ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvəntˌiːn ænd sˈɜːvd ɪnðə juːnˈaɪɾᵻd stˈeɪts ˈɑːɹmi dˈʊɹɹɪŋ ðə fˈɜːst wˈɜːld wˈɔːɹ æz ɐ sˈɑːɹdʒənt ɪn ɐ məʃˈiːn ɡˈʌn kˈɔːɹ, fɹʌm sɛptˈɛmbɚ sˈɛvən, nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvəntˌiːn, tʊ ˈɔːɡəst fˈoːɹ, nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪntiːn.
Kvale was graduated from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, in 1917 and served in the United States Army during the First World War as a sergeant in a machine gun corps, from September 7, 1917, to August 4, 1919.