The American Legion considers me a "Korean era veteran" because I was in service in the US during the Korean war. The VFW considers me a "Vietnam Veteran" because I was in theater for nearly 18 months. I can't count my Korean era service for VFW membership because it wasn't foreign service. The distinction is a useful one.
My father was able to join the VFW because he spent 30 days in Germany during the Korean War. He spent most of his enlistment as a clerk in NYC.