Born on a farm in Iowa in 1926, he was sent at the age of three to an orphanage due to his family's economic distress. There he became a voracious reader. In high school, he learned boxing and wrestling.
A young boy from Iowa was born in 1926 and, due to economic difficulties, was sent to an orphanage at the age of three. It was there that he developed a love for reading. Later, in high school, he discovered his interest in combat sports, learning boxing and wrestling.