A month before his seventeenth birthday, he lied about his age to enlist in the United States Marine Corps.

He took his discharge, and with an appointment from Ambassador Caffery, entered the Foreign Service School, Georgetown University.

[5] Graduating from Georgetown in 1955, Stephens studied law but ultimately dropped out to work with the National Security Agency.

[4] Stephens' career as a writer began as a marine in China, when he started writing short stories and skits.

Stephens eventually returned to Southeast Asia, where he joined the staff of the Bangkok Post and also became a travel correspondent for Royal Orchid Holidays at Thai Airways.