When I first came back, no one had crossed into Cambodia with the CIA.
Now, when I talk to some of them, it seems that every soldier in VN went into Cambodia, but can't talk about it, 'cause it was "classified", doncha know?
Then there are the ones that can't even get the units straight.
Ask one of them (that you suspect is a glory-robber), what the numerical designator of the Americal Division was...and you get a blank stare, yet gazillions of them were assigned to it,'cause that was the unit of the My Lai perpetrators and they all knew those guys, personally.
It used to piss me off, but now it entertains me, especially when you get one that is about 50 years old and you know there is no way he was in VN, but he's got a war story which begins with: "Now this ain't no shit..."
It'll be the same way with the Iraq/Afghan vets and the glory -robbers with them, too.
I'm already hearing some of it and invariably, it starts with: "When I was in the sand box..."
It has been my experience through the years that most vets (and I'm speaking of combat vets) will not discuss and tell stories with just anyone.
They have to learn to trust you or you have to have some established, visible bonafides before they will start talking and even then, they use "code" words, so to speak, to test to see if there is an actual connection there.
As it should be amongst Warriors.
There aren't nearly as many 'homeless vets' as some would believe, either. Once in a great while I bump into one claiming such, who says he was in the Corps. They look utterly puzzled when I ask what their MOS was, or stumble for an answer when I ask where they did boot.
Without looking, I think it was the 23rd Infantry Div.
I was in it: 1/1 Cavalry. And I'm pretty sure I was in Laos once, when the Anamite Mountains seemed more to the east than west.
So at least I can say, "Well, I think I was there."
I should have snuck a peek at the Troop commander's map.