 Born on May 12, 1924, in Ramsey, New Jersey, Hosking left high school to join the Canadian Army in 1941 when he was 16 years old and was discharged one month later for being underage.With his grandfathers permission, he joined the U.S. Coast Guard at the age of 17.After serving beach patrol duties he was discharged from the Coast Guard because of a heart condition in December 1942.