After a brief practice at Amsterdam and the Hague, he was enlisted in the army as a private soldier, and then as an officer of the first class in the medical department. During these periods of service, he was wounded in the thigh and in the head.
After a short training in Amsterdam and The Hague, he was enlisted as a private soldier and then promoted to first-class officer in the medical department. During these periods of service, he sustained injuries to his thigh and head.