He registered for the WW II draft on 16 October 1940, and he was listed as an employee of the Federal Government, employed at the Main Post Office, Chicago, Illinois. He was 5' 9" tall; weighed 155 pounds; had brown hair, brown eyes and a 'dark' complexion. He entered the service on 04 August 1942 from Chicago, Illinois. He enlisted as a Private; he had two years of college education, was single, with dependents and his civilian occupation was listed as: "Post office clerks".

In the Special December 25th 1944 Edition of 'Flaps Up' – the 437th's newspaper – Sergeant Ed Ahern was listed as one of the staff artists. He was listed on General Order #09, dated 31 March 1944, that authorized the award of the Good Conduct Medal to various 437th TCG personnel