Drafted

In September 1942, Warfield enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Missouri. His coursework was diverse, ranging from mathematics and chemistry, to music, French, and military courses on field artillery. In the spring of his sophomore year, with World War II raging, he was drafted by the Army. Warfield shipped off to Arkansas for basic training, where he began to train as an infantry replacement. The photo at right was taken in June, 1944, in Little Rock.

Soldier in the Classroom

Indoctrination into the military featured a number of examinations, both medical and intellectual. One of these examinations was the Army General Classification Test (AGCT), a test of intelligence and aptitude. Warfield scored quite high on the AGCT, and soon found himself pulled out of basic training in Arkansas. He was shipped off to Pennsylvania State College, and joined the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP). The photo at right of ASTP soldiers was taken in 1945. Warfield is in the second row, fourth from the left.

The Foundations of a Career

The ASTP had been developed by the Army in 1942 to prepare and teach bright men valuable technical skills to support the war effort. By 1944, with draft and recruiting drives running short of replacement soldiers, the program had been reduced in size, but Warfield's intellect was compelling, and he was brought aboard.

As an undergrad at Missouri, Warfield had just begun to focus on chemistry as a field of study. But the Army had different plans for him. In the ASTP, he spent all of 1945 studying electrical engineering. The diploma at right declares his successful completion of the ASTP program in December 1945. Click on the image to see the reverse side of the diploma, which lists his curriculum and dates of enrollment.

Finishing Out Army Service

World War II ended in August 1945, but Warfield had not served enough time to warrant a discharge. He continued to serve through 1946, serving at Camp Crowder, MO, and Fort Dodge, IA. The photo at right, with Warfield reclining on a table in the left side of the room, was taken at Camp Crowder in the spring of 1946. He finally received his discharge from the Army later that year.