He enlisted in the United States Navy's V-5 aviation cadet program in 1945. With the discontinuance of the V-5 program, he was discharged and enlisted in the Marine Corps and advanced to the rank of Sergeant prior to his commissioning as a Second lieutenant in 1948. As a rifle platoon commander, he participated in combat in the Korean War in the 1st Marine Division, including the Battle of Inchon and the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. He earned the Silver Star medal while serving as commander of Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines on 23 March 1951, prior to his medical evacuation to the United States after being wounded in action.