[2][3] He graduated 105th from the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, New York and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 11th Infantry on 12 June 1914.

[4] Among his classmates there were several future general officers, such as Carl Spaatz, Brehon B. Somervell, James B. Cress, Frank W. Milburn, Robert W. Crawford, Dabney O. Elliott, Harold R. Bull, Paul C. Paschal, John B. Anderson, John Henry Woodberry, Ralph Royce, Vicente Lim, Sylvester DeWitt Jr., Benjamin G. Weir, James L. Bradley, Harold Francis Loomis, Francis R. Kerr, Joseph Wilson Byron, William Ord Ryan, Charles P. Gross, Charles M. Milliken, John B. Thompson, Orlando Ward, Harry C. Ingles, LaRhett L. Stuart, and William H. Holcombe.

[5][4] In November 1918, the same month the Armistice with Germany brought the war to an end, Doe organised and became an instructor at the Army Machine Gun School at Langres.

[5] Doe attended the United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth from 1925 to 1926 and on graduation was posted to the 15th Infantry at Tientsin, China.

He then commanded the machine gun school at Fort Dix until 1932, when he left to attend the United States Army War College.

As commander of an infantry regiment which was engaged in wiping out the remaining points of enemy resistance, Colonel Doe distinguished himself with his coolness and gallantry under fire.

Colonel Doe's presence in the most forward areas and his disregard of personal danger were largely responsible for the high morale of his troops and the successful outcome of these operations.

His citation read: In the Southwest Pacific in June 1944, he displayed outstanding leadership and devotion to duty under Japanese machine gun, rifle and mortar fire, and in personally moving among forward assault troops.

[5] In February and March 1945, Doe led 41st Infantry Division at Palawan and Zamboanga, where he earned a second oak leaf cluster to his Silver Star.

His outstanding leadership, indomitable courage and skilful tactical knowledge resulted in his division scoring a firm foothold on Mindanao Island.

On many occasions without regard to his personal safety, he went forward to units engaged in heavy fighting in order to gain first hand information bout the tactical situation.