I looked through some of the newspapers for the 1930s through 1950s for Lafayette, IN.
He was a student a Purdue (class of 1940) but was appointed the the Naval Academy in 1939 (completing only 3 years at Purdue). He graduated from Annapolis in June, 1942. He married his wife, Barbara when he graduated. In December, 1944 he was taking primary flight training at Ottumwa Naval Air Station, IA. Clippings below says he served on the USS Washington, a battleship, (or on a cruiser?) until he started flight training in 1944.
In December 1947 he was stationed at Alameda NAS according to another article.
Earlier in 1947 he did a 7 month cruise on the carrier USS Antietam.
Before that he was in Jacksonville, FL.
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This clip seems to say he served on a cruiser before flight training:
https://www.newspapers.com/article/j...ier/128718355/
At some point in the 1950s he got a Master's degree at the Naval Academy and he also studied Aeronautical Engineering at Cal Tech.
A clipping from 1950s which gives a few more details.
https://www.newspapers.com/article/j...ier/128717588/