But since the American defeat in Vietnam, war has become distinctly complicated, and so too has the depiction of the heroes who fight them. Now we're presented with men of courage and skill who, in their own words, had to resort in some instances to killing civilians or breaking the rules of war. They're treated to books and movies, and in the age of podcasts are given the ability to paint warfare as both romantic and tragically savage. And sometimes they just make things up.

The United States Special Operations Forces (SOF) is a small and exclusive community, made even smaller for those who've seen combat. Many of their daring deeds are not fully known to the public due to the nature of their conflict, either to uphold the secrecy of missions or out of respect for the dead. Many stories stay within that community. But some individuals still rise into public affection, whose tales of brave adventure make them household names. And lately the SOF community has started to call bullshit on these celebrity soldiers, who've become superstars to the military illiterate and naive.

Recently, retired MMA fighter and former special forces operator Tim Kennedy has been in a back and forth, claim versus counter claim debate with veterans from The Antihero Podcast, along with others from the special warfare community, who challenge the content of his book and the many stories he's shared on podcasts like The Joe Rogan Experience. His high profile status from his fighting career and frequent appearances on podcasts with large audiences has given him a platform to establish his Tim Kennedy brand.

He is not alone. The former Navy SEAL who claims to have killed Osama Bin Landen, Rob O'Neill, has also had his boasts challenged. What he said does not correspond with others who were there, and even differs from the after action report taken down by the Marine Corps once he and his team returned from the mission. O'Neill was already a decorated an accomplished SEAL with a career that stood on its own merit; his reputation is now at risk of being tainted by a false boast.