Born on May 9, 1930, in Chicago, Illinois, Young joined the Air Force from Colorado Springs, Colorado. During the war he served as a captain in the 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron, a helicopter unit operating out of Da Nang Air Force Base, Republic of Vietnam. Young reached the rank of lieutenant colonel before leaving the Air Force in 1980. Aged 60 at his death, he was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia.