Little does anyone know that veteran status is pretty much up to the VA. I worked for the VA for over 30 years. Some of the things I saw there are quite unbelievable.
We had a case where a guy enlisted on the Delayed Entry Program. One day his recruiter invited him and all the other DEP guys down to the park to play softball. Our guy injured his knee, and was released from the DEP. He was not sworn in on active duty. But, the VA decided that the day that he was injured playing softball could be considered one day of Active Duty. They granted him veteran status, and granted his claim for Service Connection for his knee injury, paying him at the rate of 30 percent.
We actually had a lot of similar cases. Guys tripping getting on the plane taking them to Basic Training, injuring themselves, and being rejected for active duty upon their arrival, and sent home. They, too were considered veterans, and granted compensation without every having put on a uniform, or gotten their hair cut or anything.
What about Hillary Clinton? Does she qualify as a veteran for attempting to join the Marine Corps?