It matters not if one served in harms way. Here is an excerpt from Wikipedia.
"The most common usage is for former armed services personnel veteran is one who has served in the armed forces, but usually not someone who had a dishonorable discharge. It is especially applied to those who served for an entire career, usually of 20 years or more, but may be applied for someone who has only served one tour of duty. A common misconception is that one had to have either been in combat and/or has retired from active duty to be called a military veteran. Because of this widely held misconception, women have sometime excluded themselves from veterans groups or benefits, despite military service"
A Marine is a Marine, woman or man. A veteran is a veteran, woman or man. One need not be in harms way to be a veteran.
Semper Fi!
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