Earl graduated from high school in May of 1945. After graduation, he was inducted into the Army and went to Basic Training in Camp Walters, Texas. After basic training, he went to OCS in Fort Benning, Georgia. In March of 1946, he was assigned to the 3rd Division in Germany; K Co., 7th Infantry. The following July of '46, he was assigned to 6975 Colored Regiment F Company. He returned to the States in February of 1947. Earl began attending college immediately under the GI Bill. Earl stayed in the Reserves until the summer of 1948 and began service in the Kansas National Guard - 137th Infantry - until July, 1965. He retired - ranked as a Captain from the Kansas National Guard.