In 1942, Bob Barker left to train for what was then called the United States Naval Reserve. His training was to become a fighter pilot. When WWII started, Barker was in high school, but at the height of the war he wanted to go and fight. His service history shows that he was in the Navy up until 1945 — the same year the war ended, per Together We Served. During that time, however, he was never called to duty, says Biography. He had met all the training requirements, and all Barker needed (and wanted) was a call to head to war. But that call never came. In his autobiography “Priceless Memories” (via Google Books), Barker jokingly recalled that it was his enlistment that was the biggest threat for the war. “I was all ready to go, and when the enemy heard that I was headed for the Pacific, they surrendered. That was the end of World War II,” he wrote.
While Barker was never actually active in the war, he holds his service in high esteem. He would return to Drury to finish his studies and graduated in 1947 (via KY3). After the war and college, Barker got his broadcast media career started when he hosted his own radio show, “The Bob Barker Show,” in 1950. His first game show opportunity came when he was hired as host of “The New Truth and Consequences” in 1956. He would host until 1974, alongside other hosting jobs he held, according to IMDb.
