 He completed his pilot training at Stockton Army Air Field, California on October 30, 1941, and was assigned to the 70th Pursuit Squadron, 35th Pursuit Group at Hamilton Field in Novato, California.Until December 1942 he served in Fiji then his squadron was moved to Guadalcanal and he joined the 347th Fighter Group.He scored his first aerial victory on Christmas Eve in 1942 when he shot down an A6M Zero.