Verl registered for the draft on 30 June 1942; he was 5' 9'' tall, weighed 155 pounds, had brown eyes and hair and a ruddy complexion. On his draft registration was the notation that the middle initial 'W' was 'only' and there was no middle name. On 28 November 1942 he entered the service from Salt Lake City, Utah as a Private in the Air Corps. He had four years of high school education, was married and his civilian occupation was listed as: "Semiskilled chauffeurs and drivers, bus, taxi, truck, and tractor".

He was a member of the 437th TCG Association and was listed on their rosters from 1986 until 1992.