Royal enlisted in the U.S.Navy on March 12, 1946.
After he completed basic training, Royal was trained in naval meteorological observation and weather forecasting. He eventually attained the rank of Aerographers mate 3/c.
During his time in the Navy, Royal was stationed in the Aleutian Islands, specifically on the island of Adak. The Japanese invaded these islands in 1942 and were only pushed out through the bravery of the American military forces.
Royal was also stationed for a time at Kodiak Alaska.
The Aleutian Islands were of course part of Alaska, which was a territory of the United States. The weather in the island chain was brutal, most of the time the islands were encased in snow, ice and fog. Weather forecasting for that area must have been a daunting task since it was always changing. There are many military planes and ships that were not lost to enemy gunfire, but to the limited visibility and icing that made it especially dangerous to conduct missions in the area. Many were lost, and never recovered.
Royal was awarded the WWII Victory medal and was discharged on January 9, 1948.
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