New War Means New Phonies: Today, Veterans Day, Americans will pause to honor the men and women serving in our armed services in the war against terrorism. We'll also honor those who have served our country in the past and the thousands who paid the ultimate price defending our freedom. Today's war is different from any in our history, with a strong emphasis on special operations forces. As a former Special Forces soldier, I have a keen interest in how America's elite warriors will meet the challenges in the first war of the new millennium. As a Vietnam veteran, I also am concerned about the new wave of phony war heroes who are sure to surface in North County and across the country. "Pretty soon you'll be hearing about the first Rangers who went into Afghanistan, and just as sure there will be phonies and wannabes claiming to have fought in their ranks," said Vietnam veteran B.G. Burkett, the author of "Stolen Valor," which exposes hundreds of phony "veterans" of previous wars.