In 1943, Bronson enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces and served as an aerial gunner in the 760th Flexible Gunnery Training Squadron, and in 1945 as a Boeing B-29 Superfortress crewman with the 39th Bombardment Group based on Guam and flew 25 missions. On one of those missions, he was involved in combat and sustained injuries to his arms. For the injuries he sustained in service, he was rewarded with the Purple Heart and eventually retired from the Armed Forces. rochestermilitary.com