He graduated from Bismarck High School in 1917 and from the United States Naval Academy in 1920 and was simultaneously commissioned as an ensign.

Promoted to the rank of lieutenant, junior grade, on 5 June 1923, he received orders to the transport USS Argonne at Cavite Naval Station in the Philippine Islands for temporary duty.

In May 1935, he received orders to report to Rear Admiral Clark H. Woodward, Commander Destroyers, Battle Force Pacific, for duty as Aide-de-camp and flag lieutenant on his staff and continued to serve aboard destroyer tender USS Melville after Rear Admiral Woodward was relieved.

In May 1938 he was assigned to the Navy Recruiting Bureau in New York City as a United States Naval Reserve instructor.

He was promoted to lieutenant commander on 1 July 1939 and was assigned various postings as a Naval Reserve instructor in the State of New York.

On 20 March 1941, Register received notification for change of duty for assignment to the battleship USS Arizona as communication officer.

Passing down Register's port side, the kamikaze suicide plane was deflected overboard by the kingpost, which buckled and crashed over No.

Transferring them to the hospital at Peleliu on 4 August 1945, she returned to the scene of the rescue, but found only life rafts and floater nets.

Shifted to Nagoya toward the end of October 1945, she embarked United States Army and U.S. Navy personnel as passengers and headed east.

Reaching Pearl Harbor on 15 November 1945, she continued on to the United States West Coast, thence steamed through the Panama Canal to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to begin inactivation.

Later transferred to the Orange, Texas, berthing area, Register remained in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet until stricken from the Navy List on 1 September 1966.