Faulkner originally tried to join the U.S. Army Air Corps but was rejected because of his size. He did join the Canadian Air Force and went to Toronto for flight training. A legend has grown up (fed by the author's own stories) that Faulkner served as a pilot in France and suffered severe wounds when his plane crashed in combat; but the truth is that he the war ended while he was still in Canada and his only wound came as the result as an Armistace Day prank (actually, even this is questionable). He left the corp with a lieutenancy in the Royal Air Corps and took great pleasure in showing off his fashionable flyer's uniform. Although he saw no action, Faulkner affected the pose of a veteran flying ace; it is probable that at that point in his life he did not even know how to fly (he would learn how to fly later in life, but he was a lousy lander).