Bill had a belief that serving your country was important. After briefly considering joining the Marines and amidst strong opposition from family, Bill settled on the Air Force. Bill was stationed at Pease AFB for five months after joining. While there, Bill volunteered for Sentry Dog School. Bill said, “We knew by volunteering for Sentry Dog School, we were also volunteering for Vietnam.”
Dog handlers were in high demand in Vietnam, and Bill was assigned to Phan Rang Air Base. Bill served in the 35th Security Police Squadron. Phan Rang was located about six miles inland from the South China Sea and about ninety miles north of Saigon. "When I got to Vietnam, there was extensive dog training. The dogs were being trained, handlers were trained with the dogs, and there was sentry training." Bill served a harrowing nine months from February 1967 to November 1967 as a dog handler in Vietnam.
