This garment has qualities I admire, linguistic question

[blackemerald1]

Agreed, but it seems superfluous to use era before using veteran as you have written @Never_falter2.

Veteran already means that the person has a long association with Vietnam so not so sure it is necessary in every circumstance. Sometimes it may be okay but my brain won't work well enough to give me a good example. Sorry!

 

[Ronin]

With a raised drink of Respect and sitting down, listening and learning from my betters.

... Right, this was a language one. Vietnam vet, that era is redundant. The name of the conflict spells out the era, at least in that one.

 

[blackemerald1]

Agreed, with the way you have constructed the sentence however: Vietnam era veteran is not quite right.

 

[Never_falter2]

John says: “I am a Vietnam era veteran. I am a Vietnam Times veteran“ is John actually saying he has been in country or is he saying that he served during that time?

I ask because of that controversy about that Covington Catholic boys and their maga hats... trying to find out what really happened... not sure why I even care, it did not even happen in my country but I got interested in it... now different individuals say different things. Somebody might not be saying the truth but I wonder who it is?

One of the individuals involved in the controversy says he was a Vietnam Era Vet/Vietnam Time Vet. Some newspapers wrote he was a Vietnam vet. It turned out he served in the military during the Vietnam war but he did not deploy... but had he been misinterpreting his service as some claim? Is saying one is a Vietnam Era Vet the same as saying one is a Vietnam Vet?

 

[blackemerald1]

“I am a Vietnam era veteran. I am a Vietnam Times veteran“ is John actually saying he has been in country or is he saying that he served during that time?

Neither. Well I have not heard anyone who is Vietnam veteran use this term to describe themselves. I have met a lot. Maybe it's a new term.. I am forever catching up.

controversy about that Covington Catholic boys and their maga hats

I know nothing.

says he was a Vietnam Era Vet/Vietnam Time Vet.

Again.. not familiar with this wording. Was he from a non English speaking country attempting to describe his experience?

me newspapers wrote he was a Vietnam vet.

Newspapers are notorious for misquoting etc., And they are not so good at using the English language anymore so idk what they thought they meant either.

he served in the military during the Vietnam war but he did not deploy... but had he been misinterpreting his service as some claim

It depends what he said. If he said 'I am a Vietnam veteran' and he did not deploy to the theatre of war in Vietnam, I would suggest he is misrepresenting his experience.. not misinterpreting as you have suggested. But I also don't know exactly what he said or indeed what his actual job was during the war. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes to keep boots on the ground.

Is saying one is a Vietnam Era Vet the same as saying one is a Vietnam Vet?

For me, no. As I wrote earlier, Vietnam Era Vet seems to be superfluous.

I think to solve this you could look at the word veteran. It derives from Latin and loosely means old but in it's popular form we are using it more to mean very experienced. It isn't exclusively used by and for the military either. Lots of professions have veterans. So, one can be a veteran astronaut or a veteran Olympian etc., but I don't think you would describe an old experienced knitter as a veteran knitter. lol :rolleyes:

Then you could look at the word era and it's meaning which tends to refer to a specific period of time that is distinct from other time. So, in the Vietnam War era would probably refer to the political events leading up to it, what happened during it and even post war to a point I suppose.

Does this help or just confuse it more? lol?

 

[Freida]

Funny - for me there's a definate difference ---
A Vietnam vet is someone who fought in Vietnam.
A Vietnam era vet is someone who served during the Vietnam war but didn't deploy

hmmmm so do I think that about the iraq war??
yep...
Iraq vet -- someone who deployed
Iraq era vet - served but didn't deploy
Would be interesting to get some more feedback from vets -- see if they make that distinction too or if it's just my brain wandering away :laugh: I
And yep - the word veteran is used a lot in public safety... the veteran dispatcher, the veteran officer, etc. It means people who have been in the career for a long time and are the go to people for questions


Oh - Vietnam Time? No idea what that means

 

[blackemerald1]

For me, no. A

Funny - for me there's a definate difference ---

I screwed up. I agree with you @Freida.. I'm wrong :oops: So yes there is a big difference. I lost the plot with that :sorry:

I still think the terms Vietnam era veteran is strange and unnecessary. Why wouldn't Vietnam veteran do? What do you call a person who is in the military that doesn't serve in a theatre of war? They have a name don't they? Like support personnel or non-operational personnel?

Look idk - I have never heard of it before so I have no idea really. Agreed.. it would be good for a military person to give an opinion. But I defer to your experience :)

 

[Never_falter2]

In my country everybody who has a honorary discharge is allowed to call himself veteran, doesn’t matter if he deployed. There is a lot of critique from Deployment-Veterans, who say that this definition waters down what a veteran really is but that is the official defintion.

But if somebody called himself Afghanistan veteran I personally would expect the person served in Afghanistan. In the country.

Actually your explanations confused me even more. The individual in question was not in Vietnam but in the US where he served as a refrigerator mechanic. Would you see him as a Vietnam era veteran?

 

[Sideways]

refrigerator mechanic

That clears it up a bit - his more accurate title would be Thermal Engineering Operative vet!!!

 

[Freida]

What do you call a person who is in the military that doesn't serve in a theatre of war

LOL I don't think you got it wrong --- I was actually kind of surprised of how I thought of it :laugh:
So I'm often referred to as a Cold War Vet --- we weren't actually in combat but things were way more dangerous than most people realize during that time. That's why I can get membership in the American legion which is only offered to vets who were in a time of conflict (Lebanon, Granada, Libya, Honduras) And I've heard the term Post 911 vet a lot when it comes to benefits because those who joined after 9-11 get different benefits. I think it got really complicated after the first gulf war because we have had so many different conflicts going on -- Kuwait, Afghanistan, Iraq, etc. I guess in general a vet is a vet first -- then when/where they served comes second.

Or this is my own personal take on it and I'm the only person who thinks it! :roflmao:

 

[blackemerald1]

Actually your explanations confused me even more.

So sorry @Never_falter2 I didn't mean to muddy the water. :sorry:

his more accurate title would be Thermal Engineering Operative vet!!!

I agree with @Sideways - he's not a soldier is he? So if he was saying he was a Vietnam veteran I too would expect him to have deployed and I can see why a few actual soldiers and other personnel who served in a foreign country might be a bit miffed. But again, then I read @Freida post and I think...nah I don't know what I am talking about because as I said in a previous posts it takes a lot of ppl to put boots on the ground.

Would you see him as a Vietnam era veteran?

No! I think that is superfluous - it sounds weird and I would never say that phrase.. Vietnam veteran would suffice (for me).

So,

If pinky grew up during the Vietnam war era - yes! But, not Vietnam era veteran.

911 veteran - yes,
911 era veteran - no.. etc.,

Combat Vietnam veteran clarifies it even further... that says he's a soldier, involved in combat duties and served in the Vietnam war.


But again, that's just me... :)

 

[Freida]

Oh the joys of the English language!!!! :laugh: :roflmao: