 He enlisted in the U.S. Amy Air Corps at MacDill Field, Florida, in December 1940 and was subsequently assigned to Chanute Field, Ill., where he was an aircraft mechanic instructor for the next two years.He was accepted for aviation cadet training in December 1942 and graduated as a pilot in September 1943 with a commission as a second lieutenant.For the next few months, he attended B-17 transition and combat crew training.