Well over 5 years and service connected disabled, yes.
Vietnam era.
I was crawling over Nukes at age 18. What were you doing at age 18?
Nukes were not laughing matters then or now.
Military service used to be honorable.
Let's see. At 18 I was halfway through my senior year in HS.
I was in band (clarinet, bassoon, sax, percussion),
Deputy Commander for our AFJROTC detachment and official squadron photographer for 4 years,
keeping on the honor roll grade-wise,
applying for colleges in my state,
jumping through hoops for my AFROTC college scholarship application (in-person interviews, physical exam, etc.),
working 2 part time jobs (ice cream & dairy plant and retail store asst. mgr. plus school bus driver),
learning and practicing for the regional CAP air navigation competition (first time I ever flew a plane while the pilot searched for a barf bag for my partner),
applying for financial aid in case my scholarship fell through,
took the majority of the photos used in the Year Book including the senior portraits that a professional normally does (his film didn't develop, or something, so i was asked last minute to meet the printer's deadline),
bought a 1966 VW Beetle that needed lots of work (first car I owned),
and of course all the football games, concerts, drill competitions and elementary school visits we did each year.
Good times!
Those are just the highlights.