"he tried to join the Americam Legion who smirked at him and said only guys who were in A REAL war were welcome"
I will admit this, there were some state American Legions that were not in sinc. I just know of Pennsylvania, the largest, and we welcomed them.
Sorry, but it happened. I mentioned it a few years ago at a legion hall and they said that would never happen there. But in 1968 in Chicago, Illinois it happened.