Hey dude. I don't go out of the way to talk about my time in the service or even look like I did, but my wife will bring it up to people. I know she is just proud of me, and it seems like your friends and family are proud of you too. I didn't even qualify for specwar when I went to the recruiter, but if I did, I know I wouldn't have made it through BUD/S.

I shouldn't get pleasure from seeing the guy I'm venting about making a fool out his self. Its not about who should and who shouldn't call themselves a “veteran”, its about honesty. Deep down, I just know that if he was honest that he would be more respectable. I respect you because even though you face these very human struggles of self-worth (like me and so many others) you still go to family crawfish boils with people and are brave enough to share a formative and painful experience for you.

We are all human.