CONGRESSMAN J. C. WATTS, JR. (R-OK)
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Union—and soon we hope to China and Vietnam as well. The Cold War—along with its hot spots in Vietnam, Korea and elsewhere—was a fierce competition between two opposing views of the world: one based on freedom and one based on oppression. In Southeast Asia, Communist and democratic states were situated like a checkerboard with countries opposite in ideology neighboring one other. For the United States, Communism meant a limit to freedom that all Americans cherish. If America were to sit back and allow Communism to spread throughout these Southeast Asian countries, the world would probably be a much different place than it is today. It holds true that more than three million Americans served in Vietnam, most of whom were young men fighting for their country and the ideals of freedom and patriotism. It is also true that thousands of these young Americans were killed in action—and many more were injured. The sacrifices of these brave soldiers will never be forgotten. Even through all of the controversy, 87 percent of the American people hold Vietnam veterans in high esteem. The reverence veterans are given is due to the fact that they were willing to die for our freedom. They loved their country and were patriots in the truest sense of the word. The same can be seen in the war on terrorism following the attacks of September 11th, 2001. Any country or regime that is a threat to freedom is a threat to the world. This is what we learned from Vietnam.