In the decades since the Vietnam War ended I occasionally run across a “veteran” who appears to be a poser or fake. Some actually served in the military, but decided to embellish their service with fantastic tails of derring-do. When questioned, the typical answer is, “I can’t talk about it because our missions are classified.” This response is a major red flag.
After the war, fakes became so prevalent that Congress felt compelled to pass the Stolen Valor Act of 2013, making it a crime to falsely claim military service, embellish their rank or fraudulently claim having received a valor award.
Despite the Stolen Valor Act, I still occasionally run across a fake or poser. For me, it is infuriating.