Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a multi-decade (1955 - 1975 by some accounts) conflict between North Vietnam (and its communist allies, including the Viet Cong) and South Vietnam (along with its United States allies). It could be viewed by some, like the Korean War, as a proxy war between the United States and the Soviet Union (or its communist ally, China).
Speech Relevance
From 'A Time For Choosing':
Now, one side in this campaign has been telling us that the issues of this election are the maintenance of peace and prosperity...
As for the peace that we would preserve, I wonder who among us would like to approach the wife or mother whose husband or son has died in South Vietnam and ask them if they think this is a peace that should be maintained indefinitely. Do they mean peace, or do they mean we just want to be left in peace? There can be no real peace while one American is dying some place in the world for the rest of us.
From 'The Myth of the Great Society'
Four and a half years ago... five years ago, there were no daily casualty lists, no wives and mothers receiving telegrams that began, "We regret to inform you..."
I can think of no higher, more noble purpose than to take young men and to make sure that they get an equal chance in the start in life. But we have such a program now, and we put the young men in camps for retraining and we pay them a higher rate of pay than we give the young man who puts on a uniform and goes out to defend his country.
Reagan would also mention the Vietnam War, as the United States had just recently pulled out of it, during many of his Reagan Radio Commentaries.
