Ironically enough, the man responsible for guys referring to themselves as a “Hemingway Man” almost didn’t make it into the military. Hemingway applied for enlistment at the age of 18, but due to poor vision, was deferred. Yet, the Red Cross would give him a backdoor entrance into the military after all. In April 1918, Hemingway set sail for Europe and landed in the thick of it. Upon return to civilian life, Hemingway noted it was dull compared to all of the adventures of war.