Much can be told about Bobby's personality and adventures by reading his letters home. He seemed restless from a young age.
At the age of 16, Bobby spent the summer picking fruit in Tuscan, CA. The parents were still living in Long Beach at the time.
He left home for the first time in 1943 at the age of 17. According to the letters, Bobby already was displaying his temper. On October 2, 1943 he sent his first letter home to his mother. He had broken his wrist and was wearing a cast when he left. His mother commented on the envelope before she put it in the box that was to house many such letters. It simply read "Written in 1943 Oct. when Bob decided to leave home and see the world".
This adventure didn't last long and Bobby returned home to her parents. Once again, Bobby couldn't stand to stay in one place for long. He signed up for the merchant marines on December 30, 1943 and headed off for training a short time later. On April 29, 1944 he received his certification a Seaman 2nd Class.
April, 1944 - Bobby arrives in Seattle, WA
Bobby's younger brother, Jimmie, was killed in a horse riding accident. Bobby mentioned later in his psychological evaluations how guilty he felt that he was thousands of miles away on a ship and couldn't come home. His letters showed a somewhat clumsy attempt to console his mother.
Bobby received his Order to Report for a Preinduction Physical Exam from the Selective Service System on October 9, 1944 and an Order to Report for Induction on December 11, 1944. The order was deferred due to his status in the merchant marines. He would later enlist in the army when he tired of being at sea.
According to Merchant Marine files, Bobby was suspended for a period of 3 months and was put on probation for 9 months. The charge was "Misconduct - AOL*Failure to Join." The date of the offense was April, 1945. The offense occurred when Bob went on a boar hunt with some crew mates and got lost. He spent some time with some natives in the jungles in the Phillippines hunting Japanese soldiers before finally finding his way back to port. By that time, his ship had sailed and he was put into a prison camp with the Japanese prisoners. Due to the shortage of seamen at the time, he was put on another ship headed for home and given only a short suspension.
Bobby was tired of sailing and tired of the Phillippines and decided to take a short break back at the ranch. Once again he headed for Mexico to do some prospecting. As always, the adventure started with a post card home. Note that there was never a mention of any problems that were encountered until everything was over and then, only a brief, matter of fact mention of issues.
Once again Bobby decided to switch careers and joined this time joined the army. It was not a good fit. Bobby didn't like to take orders. He also signed up for classes that required strong mathematical skills and he had never had any training other than simple math. He was initally stationed in Florida and hated every minute of it. While on furlough he was fixed up with a date with a young lady by the name of Dixie. Though nothing happened while on the date, Dixie's parents began pushing marriage and Bobby complacently went along with their wishes.