In the fall of 1942, Eddleman enrolled at the University of Illinois, playing on both the freshman football and basketball teams. However, in January 1943, after only a single semester, Eddleman was called to military duty during World War II. He was placed in the Army Air Corps and, after being sent to Fort Sheridan in Chicago for basic training, he was stationed in Miami Beach where he was assigned as a physical trainer for new cadets, all while still being only 20 years of age. It was in Florida that he would suffer the most serious injury of his time in the military as during a beach volleyball game, Eddleman broke his right foot. Following approximately eighteen months in Florida, Eddleman returned to his home state near Belleville, Illinois stationed at Scott Field. His final destination during his military service was Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio, where he played basketball for the Kittyhawks, a military service ""all-star"" team regarded as one of the greatest in the nation. While playing for the Kittyhawks, he was named to the College All-Star team composed of the best college players in the country. The team played games around the country, however, one particularly memorable game was when the Kittyhawks beat the Harlem Globetrotters in 1945. Eddleman would close out his military service in the Fall of 1946, transitioning back to the life of a college student athlete.