He boarded the USS SLC on July 22, 1938. He spent Fleet Week in Portland, Oregon and was assigned to the First Division. From Portland he went to Long Beach, CA. and did training crews along the coast of Southern CA. There were approximately 650 crewmen. During the war there were over 1200 men aboard.

The first year he spent as a deck hand scrubbing and painting decks, loading ammunition and supplies aboard, having gun drills and standing watch. Later he was assigned to the No. 1 Turret. There were 14-16 men in a turret.

Forty days is the longest he was out to sea during his time on ship.

He was aboard the SLC when it escorted the USS HORNET when she carried the B25 bombers and the Doolittle Raiders. He fought at Savoy Island in 1942, Coral Sea, Guadalcanal, and the Komandorski Islands.