Billy Neighbors is a praying, thankful and patriotic man.

“I still get goose bumps when I see the American flag,” Neighbors said. “When I hear the ‘Star-Spangled Banner,’ it just does something to me. I have no respect for people who don’t take off their hats (in reverence) or stand at attention during the national anthem.”

At age 71, Neighbors, a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, joined the military when he was just 17.

“I went into the military in 1958,” Neighbors said. “My duties were air crash, firefighting and rescue. I’ve been to Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, Iceland and England. I loved the military. It’s rewarding to save someone’s life.”

Neighbors grew up in a close-knit home with one brother in the little town of Tallulah, La., and while stationed in England on military duty, he then moved to Alabama in 1975. A year later, Neighbors met his wife of 35 years, Ruth.

“We have a good marriage,” Neighbors said. “I can’t give my wife enough credit, she’s brought me through a lot.”

One thing Neighbors credits to his wife is helping him get through Squamous-Cell Carcinoma, or SCC, which is cancer found in multiple organs.

In was the fall of 2003 and Neighbors had gone to the Alabama-Tennessee football game with his friend Buddy Perkins.

“There were five overtimes in the game, so I did a lot of shouting and yelling,” Neighbors said. “Afterwards, my throat was really sore and I later went to the doctor and he thought it was an abscess.”

Later that year, doctors took a biopsy of Neighbors tonsils and then referred him to doctors in Birmingham and the Montgomery Cancer Center before his final diagnosis.

“When the doctor told me that I had cancer in my left tonsil and that I had a 50-50 chance to live, I froze in place for a few minutes,” Neighbors said. “I was shocked and terrified. I went home and me and my wife sat down and cried together. I wondered what was coming next.”

After making two trips to the top-rated MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and going daily to Montgomery for 40 radiation and eight chemotherapy treatments, things got worse for Neighbors.

“It was a long process,” Neighbors said. “The radiation shrunk my tumors but it made organs around my tonsils — the base of my tongue, esophagus and larynx (voice box) — completely frozen. My throat is destroyed.”

Neighbors said he hasn’t eaten anything by mouth in more than seven years. With his mouth barely opening above an inch, Neighbors still brushes his teeth, uses peroxide and baking soda as mouthwash, because regular mouthwash is too harsh, and drinks through a feeding tube.

“It hurts a lot to not be able to sit down and have a regular meal with my family,” Neighbors said disappointedly. “When I gargle, I have to make sure bacteria from my throat doesn’t get into my lungs, causing double pneumonia; I’ve been in the hospital twice for it.

“You can get rid of cancer but sometimes you lose out because of the harsh treatments — you’re quality of life changes,” Neighbors said. “I believe I was over radiated but I think treatments are getting better. Maybe one day, I’ll be able to eat again.”

Though he can’t swallow, has esophogal damage, has trouble speaking and enunciating and suffers from chronic dry mouth and inflammation, Neighbors still has hope.

“I never got to the point where I had fear of dying, but it brought me closer to God,” Neighbors said. “I rededicated my life back to the Lord completely and I turned my sickness over to him. I prayed to God for peace in my situation and I’ve had peace ever since.”

After years of saving lives in the military, Neighbors’ own life has now been saved through the kindness of others. Neighbors credits his wife and church family’s dedication to him through the difficult process as the reason for his continued motivation.

“I can’t give enough credit to my Sunday school class, my pastor, my family and the fitness club I belong to,” Neighbors said. “If it weren’t for them I wouldn’t be here today. I know the good Lord has me here for reason and if my story can help someone else, then everything was worth it.”

Neighbors and his wife have two sons and five grandchildren.