Like many young men, Bud decided to join the service at an early age. He wanted to leave his hometown of Wapakoneta, Ohio and see the world. From August 1955 until August 1975, he would travel the globe seeing oceans, seas, and mountains in between. While maturing from a high school drop out to a college professor, Bud was able to visit several foreign countries while serving his own country and providing a much-needed medical service to the men of the United States Navy and the Marine Corps. His twenty years of service included participation in historic events such as the Cuban missile crisis in 1962, and the Viet Nam conflict (March 8th- March 29, 1973). His last duty station was the USS Robert H. McCard (DD-822). While waiting to report aboard the McCard, Bud was surprised to hear that the F.B.I. was calling upon his neighbors to do a security background check. Apparently the McCard had nuclear capabilities which required Bud to have a Secret clearance since he maintained the health records of the entire crew including all of its officers.While in the Mediterranean Sea, he was dispatched in Naples Italy with another chief to transport a Naval Intelligence Officer and his crew to the ship. While underway, the intelligence crew were doing a "Black Box Operation" on the fantail of the ship. Our mission was to track Russian subs and report their activity.