When World War I started in 1918, Buster's father joined the Army. He graduated from Officer Candidate School, and moved his family to the Schofield Barracks in the center of Oahu. Once again, the boys were too far from the beach to go swimming. They rode horses instead, and went to the Honolulu Military Academy. When Buster's father was discharged from the Army in 1920, he moved his family to Honolulu. Mr. and Mrs. Crabbe were divorced about 1920. The two boys were placed in the custody of their father. They lived with their grandparents in Honolulu.