ðə sˈeɪləm mˌæsɐtʃˈuːsɪts ˈiːvnɪŋ nˈuːz, ɹᵻpˈoːɹɾᵻd ˌɔn ˈɔːɡəst ˈeɪt, nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi θɹˈiː, ðætðə ðˈɛn twˈɛnti tˈuːjˈɪɹˈoʊld aʊtfˈiːldɚ, ɹˈiːsəntli ɹᵻlˈiːst fɹʌmðɪ ˈʌskɡ sˈeɪləm ˈɛɹ stˈeɪʃən ɪn ˈɔːɹdɚ tʊ ɛnlˈɪst ɪnðə jˌuːˌɛsˈɛnz vˈiː fˈaɪv ˌeɪvɪˈeɪʃən tɹˈeɪnɪŋ pɹˈoʊɡɹæm, wʌz ɛkspˈɛktᵻd tə jˈuːz ɐ mˈʌnθlˈɔŋ bɹˈeɪk tə plˈeɪ fɚðə bɹˈʊklɪn dˈɑːdʒɚz.
The Salem (Massachusetts) Evening News, reported on August 8, 1943, that the then-22-year-old outfielder, recently released from the USCG Salem Air Station in order to enlist in the USN's V-5 Aviation Training Program, was expected to use a month-long break to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers.