kˈɑːnstəntli tɹˈʌbəld ɪn hɪz jˈuːθ, hiː wʌz ʌnˈeɪbəl tə kəmplˈiːt hˈaɪ skˈuːl, jˈɛt wɪð hɪz ɪnˈɪʃiətˌɪv hiː wʌz ˈeɪbəl tə ɡɛt wˈɜːk æz ɐ ɹᵻpˈoːɹɾɚ fɚɹə nˈuːzpeɪpɚɹ ɪn fˈɔːɹt jˈuːstiz, vɜːdʒˈɪniə wɛn hiː wʌz sˈɪkstiːn jˈɪɹz ˈoʊld.
Constantly troubled in his youth, he was unable to complete high school, yet with his initiative he was able to get work as a reporter for a newspaper in Fort Eustis, Virginia when he was 16 years old.