He’s not a real general, any more than Col. Sanders was a real Colonel.
He was a “California” general, an honorific given to colonels in the cal guard on retirement. This is not a real promotion, and he can’t wear the star on a real uniform outside of Cali.
In fact, he got off of active duty in 1960, and was a weekend warrior until 1986 when he got out for good. He’s a phony.