I was drafted into the Army shortly after my 18th birthday and, because of my interest and background in chemistry, the Army decided that Medical Corps basic training was a good fit with my interests. I was sent to Camp Grant, Illinois, and soon discovered that Medical Corps basic training was not for me. It may have sounded like it was science-oriented, but wrapping up a wound or putting a splint of a broken arm or leg was not science to me.
One day I saw a notice on the bulletin board in our barracks asking for volunteers to become involved in chemical warfare developments at Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland. The bulletin made this sound as though I could volunteer for real scientific research, which was closer to my interests. Since the Chemical Warfare Service in Maryland was also nearer to my home in New York City, I jumped at the chance to volunteer. I found myself being dressed in various protective devices and for a short time, I was exposed to some chemical warfare liquids and gases. But the gods smiled favorably on me, and I soon was promoted to be the company’s “gofer.” Probably for this reason, I seemed to survive all the potential dangers that are now being revealed in the press about these experiments.
This experience taught me at an early age that while life has its own way of developing and evolving, one can have some influence on the paths followed by being willing to take a chance. It was an important lesson to be learned, and it served me well over the years, especially later in my business life.
(Image courtesy of the Library of Congress)