Question:

Is there a difference between gulf war veteran versus gulf war era?thank you!

Jim's Reply:

This is a question of every era...if you served during WWII but never left San Francisco, are you a WWII veteran? I served from 1967 to 1970, the Vietnam war era but I was in Germany as a hospital medic. I call myself a Vietnam era veteran, those who served in the combat zone during the war get the credit for their much riskier service and are usually called Vietnam veterans. I do what I can to differentiate between those who were directly in harms way v. those of us who served at the same time but in less dangerous roles. If you aren't trying to overstate your service, I don't think most people see the era label as a thing and appreciate the honorable and dedicated service.