He’s proud of his service but at the same time he gets uncomfortable when people gush over him. I can see how proud he is when they do it but then he tells me “it’s what real men did back then”.
I understand what the man believes, trust me. I’ve known dozens of men who have been through combat and everyone of them were never comfortable about talking about it or never reveled in it’s horror. They always said “The real heroes are the guys who never came back’’. I learned at a very early age to be quietly respectful of veterans and never to be showy in thanking them.