Mike Warnke - Early Life

Early Life

Mike Warnke was born in 1946 to parents Alfred "Al" Warnke and Louise Warnke. When he was five years old, the Warnke family moved to Manchester, Tennessee where his father opened a truck stop. In 1955, Warnke's mother was killed in a car accident. In 1958 his father died, leaving Warnke an orphan. After the death of his father, Warnke was taken to live with two of his aunts in Sparta, Tennessee, and from there to his father's half-sister and her husband in San Bernardino, California. In June 1965, Warnke graduated from Rim of the World High School in Lake Arrowhead. That September, he enrolled at San Bernardino Valley College but withdrew after one semester, whereupon by his account, Warnke began his tenure as a Satanist. On June 2, 1966, Warnke enlisted in the United States Navy. After graduating from boot-camp on August 22, 1966, Warnke's assigned Military Occupational Specialty was as a Hospital Corpsman.

According to the account of his life in The Satan Seller, Warnke converted to Christianity during Navy boot camp. However, high-school acquaintance Charlotte Tweeten, has stated she recalls him proclaiming faith in Christ in the year prior to his Navy enlistment in 1966. Warnke also wrote that he began dating fellow Rim of the World High School alumna, Sue Studer, during this time period. This has been disproven, however, and Warnke was actually engaged to Lois Eckenrod at this time. In 1967, Warnke completed Naval Corpsman training, returned to San Diego, and married Studer. Together, they had two children.

In 1969, Warnke was deployed to Vietnam for a six-month tour of duty. Having been wounded in battle during those six months, Warnke was awarded the Purple Heart. Warnke's own written accounts differ on the number of times he sustained injuries during his time in Vietnam. In The Satan Seller, Warnke claims he was wounded twice, while in his second book, Hitchhiking on Hope Street, he states he was wounded five times. Despite these wounds received during his tour of duty as a hospital Corpsman, 2nd Class, Warnke's various accounts have him spending much time detained, allegedly killing a man in battle, and surviving being shot several times, including once by an arrow. Warnke claims it was the latter wound for which he was awarded the Purple Heart. Warnke returned to the United States in 1970.

While still serving in the Navy, Warnke teamed up with San Diego evangelist Morris Cerullo and was touted for his "Satanist experience". Warnke and Cerullo toured the country participating in charismatic Revival meetings. Cerullo wanted to write a book about youth occultism, and assigned the writing task to David Balsiger with help from Warnke. In early 1972, Warnke requested and received an early discharge from the Navy as a conscientious objector so that he could work full-time in the ministry. Warnke then left Cerullo's ministry to start his own, forbidding Cerullo to use any of his material. It was at this time that Warnke and Balsiger went on to write the book that would make Warnke famous.