“And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”

This quote was part of the inaugural address of John F. Kennedy in 1961. I am sure that he never realized the gravity of these words and the effect that they would have on the generation of Americans that where growing up during this period of history. Larry Burke, a Vietnam veteran, reflected on the impact that these words has on his life. He recalls, “Those kinds of things just where so meaningful, I think, to people in my generation. When we went to Vietnam and this is the ironic thing about it. I think one of the things that a lot of people don’t understand is that when we went to Vietnam I was willing to go. This was my thing for my country” (Burke, 19).

He and countless other young men volunteered for the Army in the early 1960’s. These men where proud of their country and of its ideals. Like their fathers before them they where ready and willing to defend the United States and the world from evil. This time the evil that was threatening the world was the Communist regime in Northern Vietnam. Mr. Burke remembers thinking, “We’re the ones that are going to go save the world from Communism. We’re willing to make that commitment and proud to do it (Burke, 19).

Burke who was interviewed in 2001 about his experiences in during the Vietnam War relates that there was a very positive feeling in the United States in the early 1960’s before the Vietnam War. He recalls, “I can remember the intense patriotism in the country at that particular time. Total determination to win that war. Everybody was united by it. Even as a child you could just sense that it was just a kind of glorious, maybe not glorious. Maybe glorious is not the right word, but a satisfying feeling of everybody just with the same determination going in the same direction. As a child, even as a child, I could sense that and feel it. It’s something that has stuck with me. I don’t want war to unite us like that again obviously, but it was great for the country to be that unified” (Burke, 3).

The theme that united the country during this period in history was a determination to rid the world of communism. Jed Proujansky another veteran comments on the policy of the United States. He says, “In the 60's there was a growing trend towards Communism and it was feared that if Vietnam went Communist, so would much of S.E.Asia. (The Domino Theory). So we decided to make a stand and try and prevent that trend from happening.” (Proujansky)

The government was determined to promote the war. Burke relates, “they were issuing bumper stickers, “Win in Vietnam” Trying to mobilize public opinion behind the war.” The public response was mixed. There were those that supported the quest to save the world from communism and there were those that were bitterly opposed to going to war from the start.

One group of people that went to war willingly was the soldiers. They viewed themselves as heroes. As one veteran commented, “We’re the good guys. We’re the ones who are going to go save the world from Communism. We’re willing to make that commitment and proud to do it” (Burke, 19).

As another citizen put it, “So many young men served their country during this was, without even really knowing why. Those who did not ask to go ther but did so without protest, answering the call of their government. They Truly risked their life daily for a year or more, hardly giving it a thought; most did what they were supposed to do, and went on to the nest day!” (Betrayed).

One soldier, Donald Fredrick, was wounded early in the war and recalls giving a speech in support of the war at a local high school while on leave. He said, “At that time (Dec. 1966) I did not here of or see any anti-war activities. He also recalls heeding the call to do something for his country that Kennedy so effectively delivered. He speaks for many veterans when he says, “I was there and did my best and would have done the same giving what had led up to the Vietnam War as a teenager.

Any doubt that the United States forced these first troops to fight is dispelled by his pointed recollection. He says, “We did not tazke a lot of prodding, so don’t kid yourselves. We went because we wanted to. Yes we were ignorant of the history of Vietnam, had we had any knowledge of the Vietnameese we would have know a coundty wo fought or was occupied by the Chinese for 12 hunders years were not going to be vanquished by Uncle Sam’s boys in a short war which is the only kind America will fight in…” (Frederick)