Haven't been in this section for quite a while...

Jim, like you I am one of those Vietnam Era Veterans...

I had orders for Vietnam and then that changed... was sent to Ft Lewis for more medical training...

ya know, EVERY Vietnam vet I ever spoke to, stating I am sorry I didn't get the opportunity to do my duty over there, their response has ALWAYS been " you didn't miss a damn thing"....

It was decades ago, but I was getting hassled by some leftist do gooder, about not serving in Vietnam.... and that I wasn't really a Veteran Then...
it was at a restaurant in Minneapolis area..... Out of the clear blue, some Marine Corps Vietnam Vet, walked right over and butted into the conversation...

not at me, but the left winger hassling me....

Typical Marine... short and sweet.... along the lines of " Hey Ass Hole.... where did you serve? what were your dates of service.... yeah I thought so.... Well this guy put on the uniform and served his country.. and he did exactly like we all did.... went where we were told to go, did what we were trained and told to do... We all Can't be Rambo.."
Then he turned to me, extended his hand thanking me for my service and I did the same back to him....

The hassler.... he just sort of walked off real quick.... I am pretty sure if he started slinging schitt again, the Marine would have just knocked him on his ass... and it would not have been pretty....

He made a good point... Whoever put on the uniform, has served their country... no matter where or whatever their MOS/ job was...and that is around 1% of our population..
Whoever that 1 % is or was, they are our brothers... we did something the other 99% have never done... served our country....

"Minus the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the Country" Marion Barry, Mayor of Wash DC

“Owning guns is not a right. If it were a right, it would be in the Constitution.” ~Alexandria Ocasio Cortez