Stopped working because he was Injured on the job, but surfs and skateboards

[extropic]

No one has yet mentioned an important factor. Work is commonly 8 (or more) hours a day, 5 days a week.
How much surfing & skateboarding? 30 year career makes him at least 45 YOA. IMHO, if he's skateboarding at 45+YOA his disability is not entirely physical.

 

[BWS Arms]

I should add that my Dad was an aircraft mechanic in the Army Air Corp during WWII. In the last year of the was working on the wing of a plane and a hot shot Lieutenant decided ti taxi the plane. My Dad fell off the wing and got busted up pretty badly. He spent the next 18 months recovering in an Army hospital. When he got out, he said he never wanted anything to do with the Army again. Although he was certainly eligible for veteran's benefits, including the VA, he refused to do so. The only benefit he received was an American flag draped over his coffin and taps and a four gun salute by volunteers from the American Legion at his funeral. That flag sits atop the bookcase in my office.

The WWII vets got nothing. My Grandfather spent four years in the Army. The majority of that in the South Pacific fighting on Peliu, Philipines, Quam, island hoping. He got a flag and small marker when he died.