I didn't say I was a general, that's why I told you to read real slow. I
said that I had to take the General theory in the early 80's but I
didn't do 13 wpm code so I only got Tech.

All such a very old Tech licensee would have to do to
upgrade to "general" was to show a VE his old license.
It wasn't automatic, as the FCC didn't keep records
that far back before 1987 (when they stopped having
the general written test for techs). Later the FCC
dropped the code for techs.

I was such a very old tech, and I decided to lock in my
new privs by doing the upgrade. While I was at it
I took and passed 4A and 4B (this was a few months
before the restructuring rules were to kick in but
after they announced it), held onto the CSCEs and
cashed them in at a special VE session held early
morning Restructuring day. I was in the FCC data
base the next week as a newly minted extra. Oddly
enough, in those stats someone posts here from time to time,
I'd be included as an old extra as I was in the database
before his cutoff date of May 2000. (Oh, if you look
up my call at the FCC web site, you'll find a Dec 2000
date, because I moved QTHs then). Kept my old "novice"
style callsign (2x3).