The article is light on details, but I am assuming he was a draftee in Vietnam, which means he served for about 2 years. You become eligible for a military pension after 20 years of service. I'm not sure what you mean by "we'll past social security" - 'well past social security' ? If so, He is totally eligible for social security. The catch is, your SS benefits are based on what you contributed when you were working. Again, details are scant in the article, but it sounds like this guy didn't have many high paying jobs during his lifetime.