He was promoted to hospital corpsman third class on August 12, 1950. On June 9, 1951, he was married to Dorothy Groff. In July 1951, he was transferred to the Fleet Marine Force (FMF), Field Medical Service School at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, for combat field training, graduating in September as a Field Medical Service Technician (HM-8404). He was then assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division (was the 3rd Marine Brigade until January 1952), Fleet Marine Force, as a FMF corpsman, at Camp Pendleton, California. In March 1952, he was transferred to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, at Camp Pendleton until July 1952. On July 21, he was assigned to the 1st Marine Division in Korea, where he was assigned to E Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment.