 However, Gehrke contributed to the war effort by landing a job with Northrop Aircraft, which was based in California, as a technical illustrator, and began helping with the design of airplanes.He was on the team that drafted and designed the P-61 Black Widow warplane.In 1942, Gehrke joined the Hollywood Bears of the Pacific Coast Professional Football League, which at this time had a talent level considered to be on par with NFL, since many NFL players were in the military stationed on the West Coast and others were working in war industries there.