The valor of the Vietnam veterans deserves the highest commendation.
Does it mean soldiers who fought in Vietnam or Vietnamese soldiers?
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4Fought there, against Vietnam. It's a very US-centric term. – gone fishin' again. Jul 10 '15 at 9:52
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2They are soldiers who fought in Vietnam. Vietnamese (ex-)soldiers would be Vietnamese veterans. – oerkelens Jul 10 '15 at 10:25
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It refers to soldiers who fought in what is known in the US as The Vietnam War, against the North Vietnamese regime when that country was divided north/south.
The name of the country where the conflict took place is used adjectivally:
Vietnam veterans
In England you will find, for example, "Falklands Veterans".
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And in the Sherlock Holmes stories, Watson is an Afghan Veteran. You also have WWII Veterans and any other war. Following the construction: 'Conflict name' veteran. (being someone who fought and survived the fighting in the conflict) Seams that the 'war' is dropped in every instance I can think of out side of World War 1 and 2. – Zeppie Dec 12 '15 at 0:12
