 Upon completion of recruit training with the 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina, he was promoted to private first class on March 1, 1968.Transferred to the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, he underwent individual combat training with the 2nd Infantry Training Regiment, and weapons special training with the 1st Battalion, 1st Infantry Training Regiment, completing the latter in April 1968.In June 1968, he arrived in the Republic of Vietnam, where he served consecutively as ammunition man, assistant gunner, machine gun team leader, and machine gun squad leader, with Company I, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division.