 After graduating West Point Fries joined the Army Corps of Engineers and served in the Philippines during the Philippine-American War.During that time he saw combat under the leadership of Captain John J. Pershing, later the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) commander during World War I.From 1914 to 1917 Fries oversaw the construction of roads and bridges in Yellowstone National Park; he gained some notoriety for that work.