Born 22 July 1923 in Russell, Kansas. His studies at the University of Kansas were interrupted by WWII. He joined the US Army Enlisted Reserve Corps in 1942 and became a 2LT in the 10th Mountain Division (3rd Battalion, 85th Infantry Regiment). He was severely injured in the Apennine Mountains in Italy on 14 April 194 during an attack on Hill 813 outside Castel d'Aiano. He survived his injuries, graduated from law school, and embarked upon a long and storied political career.