Being 18 and dumb, I never got up the nerve to ask him about it. He was a slight and unassuming fellow, who while pretty outgoing, never brought up his military service. I remember hearing he died in the 90s, contracting cancer from what he attributed to exposure to radiation while serving is the Occupation Forces in either Nagasaki or Hiroshima.
More likely 18 and respectful, considerate and not intrusive.
