hiː sˈɜːvd æz ɐ dˈɛkɚɹˌeɪɾᵻd ˈɑːɹmi ˈɑːfɪsɚɹ ɪn vˌiːətnˈɑːm ænd stˈʌdid ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ æt jˌuːsˌiːˌɛlˈeɪ, wˌɛɹ hiː wʌzɐ mˈɛmbɚɹ ʌvðə vˈɑːɹsᵻɾi fˈɛnsɪŋ tˈiːm.
He served as a decorated Army officer in Vietnam and studied English at UCLA, where he was a member of the varsity fencing team.