He joined the United States Navy in 1969. He departed from Long Beach, California aboard the USS BLUE DD744, a naval destroyer, on June 1969. His base home ports overseas were: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii – Subic Bay, Philippines – Saesabo, Japan – Kaoshung, Tawian – Bangkok, Thailand – Guam – Nagasaki, Japan – Hiroshima, Japan – Tokoyo, Japan – South Korea – Tonkin Gulf - Vietnam – South China Sea.

The USS Blue DD744 was on Tonkin Gulf Vietnam on the gun line for eleven months. His destroyer was part of the 7th Fleet in the 9th Squadron. He was then transferred to the PBR-river patrol boats in the Mekong Delta, South Vietnam for four months. He was then transferred for one month to the South Korea Sea during the USS Pueblo incident.

He was awarded the following medals: National Defense Medal, Good Conduct Medal, U.S.N.R. Meritorious Medal, the U.S. Expeditionary Medal (Korea), Vietnam Service Medal and the Vietnam Campaign Medal with 2 bronze stars. His rank was E 4 IC3 Interior Communication Technician.

After serving courageously his active duty in Vietnam, he was honorably discharged on January 15, 1971.