Posted on 08/28/2010 6:47:31 PM PDT by SLB
Tan Son Nhut AB 70-71
but never really felt the right to call myself a Vietnam Vet without having been in country. Others might disagree, but that’s just my personal take on things.
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A lot of us had that same ‘attitude’. I was over ‘there’ very early, in fact leaving in 1962 to go to Submarine School.
I believe the term ‘Vietnam ERA Vet’ was coined for this reason, those that felt the real Vietnam Vets were in country etc but as usual, the libs turned the phrase around to make it seem we were ‘ashamed’ to be associated with Vietnam. Of course this was before ‘they’ thought it was fashionable to be a Vietnam Vet. (Think kerry)
I was awarded VSM with star for duties done in and around Vietnam and although I will acknowledge myself as VN Vet, I kind of get out of the conversation when the ‘real troops’ are reminiscing.
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