[HIDEK6]

Myself, I served in the military during the Vietnam era-conflict

Not wanting to upset anyone, but this Clintonian circumlocution is meant to imply that the speaker served in Vietnam, but in fact didn't.

Another more eloquent Vietnam combat veteran could probably phrase this better.

[alphadog]

That could mean he was getting drunk in Germany, (Viet Nam ERA) while at the same time I was getting shot at in Viet Nam