Willard Wolfinbarger served in the Army Infantry during World War I, and was honorably discharged in 1919. He graduated from the University of Kansas in 1924, and was appointed a flying cadet in the Army Air Corps. After serving in the Army Air Forces in World War II, he transferred to the U.S. Air Force when it became a separate branch of service in 1947. He retired in 1953 as a U.S. Air Force Major General.