He was a paratrooper, in the First Canadian Paratroop Battalion and fought in Europe towards the end of the WWII. He was born in Barrie Ont., and when he joined the war effort he lied about his age. He had 2 older brothers, who had already joined up. He was stationed in Shilo Manitoba, became a Sargent, but when the US entered the war, he wanted to fight overseas, and so was demoted, and then fought for his country.