 Was it Nelson's decision to become part of the military?
SILENCE IS—DEADLY By Bertrand L. Shurtleff Radio is an absolute necessity in modern organization—and particularly in modern naval organization. [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Astounding Science-Fiction April 1942. That would be Nelson, his navigating officer. Nelson always knocked that way—like a man in an external state of jitters over nothing at all. Androka had arrived on board the Comerford the day before she sailed from Norfolk. With him came a boatload of scientific apparatus and equipment, including a number of things that looked like oxygen tanks, which were now stored in the forward hold. It was Nelson, his shaggy blond brows drawn scowlingly down over his pale eyes; his thin face a mass of tense lines; his big hands fumbling at the neck of his slicker. Nelson shouldered his way inside, and stood there in his dripping oilskins, blinking his eyes against the yellow light. Nelson had no answering smile, although there had been a great deal of good-natured joking aboard the Comerford ever since the navy department had sent the scientist on board the cruiser to carry on his experiments. "I'm not sure about my dead reckoning. This storm—" Curtis threw his arm around Nelson's dripping shoulders. "But this storm, sir!" Nelson avoided Curtis' friendly eyes and slipped out from under his arm. In a few minutes he returned and handed Nelson a sheet of paper with figures underlined heavily. Nelson's estimate, I'm checking back," he declared, frowning at the two papers and hastily rechecking his own figures. Nelson said: "I've been wondering, sir, if it wouldn't be advisable to try getting a radio cross-bearing. With all these rocks and islets—" "Radio?" repeated the little Czech, thrusting his face between the other two, in his independent fashion that ignored ship's discipline. Then he hastened to the radio room, with Nelson at his heels, and the Czech trotting along behind. For the next two hours, no radio messages can enter or leave my zone of radio silence—of refracted radio waves, set up by my little station on one of the neighboring islets!" The answer came back: "Bearings north east by a quarter east, U. S. Cruiser Comerford !" "I'm relieved, sir, just the same," Nelson admitted, "to have the radio bearings. Nelson went back to the bridge, and Androka returned to the commander's cabin.
 No, he was forced into a career in the military.
 No, he would have rather fought on Germany's side.  No, he was forced into a career in the military.  Yes, he wanted to help America after the horrors of the First World War.  Yes, he was influenced by his parents to live a life of service.