While the teacher was lecturing on algebra, I was on the deck of a pirate ship or in an airplane shooting down the Red Baron." Though he was disenchanted with formal learning, Cussler was reading six or more books a week. He was admitted to Pasadena City College, then dropped out to enlist in the Air Force in 1950. Flying supply missions in the Pacific, Cussler missed out on the combat he was eager to see, but over his four years of active duty he learned to scuba dive, an ongoing interest he later expanded to shipwreck exploration. In 1954, he and a friend went in on a gas station in East Los Angeles. Devising successful promotional campaigns for his new business, Cussler decided to try advertising. He enjoyed great success; his campaigns and spots garnered many prizes and honors.
In the meantime, Cussler had married Barbara Knight, an art student. While she worked evenings for the Costa Mesa, California, police department, he started writing fiction. He credits his advertising background with giving him a marketing slant and with encouraging him to do plenty of research.
