I’m 64 (65 in 2 days) and I’m a Viet Nam era vet. I was in the Army, but I wasn’t in Viet Nam. I joined in 73 and it was officially over in 75.
Vietnam Era Vet. is a whole lot different than being a Vietnam Vet (Having served there).
I am 67 and joined the NAVY. When I joined, the conflict was at its zenith, and I had already had several friends that came back shot up. Besides a family tradition of Navy, I did not want to be tooling around in the jungles. Never went to Vietnam and did my duty stateside, but believe me, I was yelled at like many others when I was in uniform. My best friends brother was killed there two months after deployment, so my view of the conduct of the war is somewhat clouded. This Indian protestor was certainly old enough to had served. He might very well be a stolen valor kind of guy, but I advise against assuming that anyone is one just because you don’t like his politics. A lot of people came back screwed up.
I went on active duty in January 1976 and I am a Vietnam ERA veteran, because Congress didn’t end that designation until October 1976. But I am NOT a Vietnam veteran.
Same here except turned 65 in 2018.