Before his riding habits made him an "odd news of the day" item, Joseph Gottschalk—his surname means "God's servant"—led an unremarkable life. He grew up in Dallas, Texas, one of six children. In 1969 at the age of 18 he attended Catholic seminary at Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, but dropped out after one semester. Described as "nerdy, even by seminary standards," Gottschalk was soon drafted into the Vietnam War effort. According to his brother Paul, Gottschalk spent most of his short Army career behind bars refusing to do "anything to help the war efforts."
