Vernon Joined the United States Navy on June 15th, 1943. Boot camp was in San Diego, California, after which he was stationed at the Alameda Naval Air Station. Once there he was assigned to "Carrier Aircraft Unit 14". Shortly there after his unit was sent to Guada Canal in the Solomon Islands.

After being there for a while, his unit was moved to an airstrip in New Georgia where they loaded bombs and serviced the aircraft. As he says, "I was a truck driver and a mechanic".

They were bombed and strafed nearly every day, and don't forget the daily rains.

Vernon's unit returned to San Francisco on the 15th of November, 1944, where he was hospitalized with Malaria. While in the hospital he received order the Naval Air Station in Grand Prairie, Texas where he continued to have bought's of Malaria until mustered out.(Nov. 19th 1945...in all Vernon spent 17 months and 19 days overseas)

During all of this time, Vernon says, "the prettiest sight I ever saw was the Golden Gate Bridge as we were coming home.