Roger enlisted in the Army during World War II, registering on February 16, 1942 because of the draft, and he had to go to Camp Shelby, Mississippi for this. At the time, he was only 21 years old. Roger was about 5 feet 7 inches, which seems somewhat short for a male from the perspective of the modern era. However, due to improvements in nutrition and developmental science, the average height has increased in the past century, and in fact the national average male height in the 1920s was between 5 foot 7 and 5 foot 8, indicating that Roger’s height was very average. Additionally, Roger was about 160 pounds, and he had brown eyes and black hair.
Roger did not officially enter the army until September 23, 1942, when he was transferred to the Enlisted Reserves Corps, and he was transferred to Camp Gordon less than a month later on October 13, 1942. At this time, Roger entered as a Private, the lowest rank, in the 83rd Chemical Battalion in Company B. The Battalion trained for multiple months until finally leaving the United States in April 1943. The 83rd Chemical Battalion was so-called because it carried a total of 36 mortars, each of which capable of shooting 25-pound shells. Thus, the Battalion carried more of a supporting role, since it was highly vulnerable to sudden rushes. In total during World War 2, the Battalion assisted in 5 water-based operations, a single air-based operation, and eight campaigns. It is unknown how many of these battles Roger fought in, but it is more likely that he fought in more amphibious battles due to the movements of the Battalion.
The 83rd Chemical Battalion participated in the Sicilian Campaign, beginning with their landing on the coast of Sicily on July 10, 1943. Because the Battalion encountered a false beach, Company B had to re-land to the right of the original pier. The Battalion advanced onto the beach, with Company B focusing on the incoming enemy infantry.