I felt like taking this in a completely different direction, when I think about a US army veteran, I think about somebody who has earned a purple heart... Its not really about 'American colors'; obviously somebody in the army is a patriot so r/w/b colors aren't really adding any extra draw to the image
(This comment references Entry #70)
I feel like the purple heart gets right to the point and all army vets will be able to recognize this iconic symbol instantly.