vietnam vets

[6M69I69B9]

once in a few blue moons (compared to once in a blue moon), i meet a vietnam vet in public out of nowhere, and some how we find it appropriate to make convo out of the blue.  happens more in whitey filled places
i know theyre a namvet bc they told me (they all do, if their pins/badges on their baseball caps weren't hint enough)

if i do talk further, they make it a guessing game about what asian country im specifically from
they always guess right or close, and im always astounded
"southeastern asian?"
"you're a 'pilipino,' right?"
ive never seen such cultural enrichment, ppl sometimes guess malaysian or smth and only true pilipinos guess right

and it's so cute in a way

and im like yeah
"i was stationed in the philippines back then, it was beautiful"
"oh haha ive never actually been to the philippines before"
"really?  you should go visit sometime"
im imagining they fucked some biches or smth

in general if im making a conversation with whitey, sometimes or eventually, it always seems to be a guessing game about my race for some people.  the older they are the more they care it seems.

"hawaiian"
"na lol guess again"
"really?  you look so hawaiian...ok i know you're obviously pacific islander but what...."