I am also confused about the “Vietnam Vet” thing.
In 1973, I was 17 and a senior in HS. Just barely able to enlist at age 17 with parental permission.
I am 61 now. . .older than him, and to me his dates don’t add up unless his VN service is because of the official dates of the conflict and he possibly lied about his age and dropped out of school. My uncle did that in WWII, enlisting at age 16 and having his older brother sign the permission paper.
Vietnam Service Dates:
Vietnam Service Medal (VSM), July 4, 1965 to March 28, 1973
Vietnam Evacuation (Operation Frequent Wind), April 29, 1975, to April 30, 1975
Vietnam (including Thailand), July 1, 1958, to July 3, 1965
That is a far distance from actually being an in-country vet.
I’ve referred to myself as
Vietnam Era Vet.
State side Radio tech.
Discharged 1972,
Almost join Pararescue,,almost.