Excuse me no First class! You know being a Civilain for 40 years we forget things. I’m so glad you you have google to keep us poor retired NCOs up on all the protocol of the Armed forces!
Do the math. If he’s telling the truth, then the senile newb is probably somewhere between 78 and 90 years old. Notice that he also keeps replying to himself.
Civilian 40 years, takes us back to 1973. Retired, so was in before 1953. Vietnam, Korean War and maybe even WWII. His dad was probably a WWI vet.