You nailed it with this: nobody who is not a veteran understands. The rest, we get it.

I sat at Applebee's tonight here in Eugene, surrounded mostly by old men, all vets, many Vietnam. Many nods, knowing looks, shoulder and fist bumps.

Who knows who those men were back in the day. Doesn't matter now. I felt pretty safe in that Applebee's. More than most places. That deserves an article.