When World War II broke out, in a drunken haze he enlisted in the Army,
Navy, Marines and Coast Guard all on the same day. He ultimately
shipped out for Naval training at Great Lakes, but soured on the whole
idea after a few weeks, and started to give an unfinished manuscript
more attention than anything else. Sensing a breakdown of some kind,
his superiors sent him for psychological evaluation, leading to his
discharge from the Navy. Later he enlisted in the Merchant Marine,
serving a successful hitch and qualifying for veteran's benefits.
