Vernon Rieman was born in Claflin, KS on August 3, 1926 and lived with his family on a farm. He attended a one room school for eight years then went to Claflin High School, graduating May 22, 1944. Rieman was given a deferment, because his brother was in the service and he was helping on the farm. Finally, Rieman did not like the fact of a draft hanging over his head and he went and asked to be drafted. He was commissioned into the Army serving in the United States at the end of the war. His last assignment was a paratrooper. Rieman was in the army for twenty months and fifteen days. He returned home and got married.