The containment of communism.
North
The US has been fighting in Afghanistan longer it was fighting in Vietnam. It is the longest war in US history.
It was fighting for democracy and against communism.
Vietnam, North and South Korea. Northern Africa
The US wanted N. Vietnam to stop fighting in S. Vietnam.
During war, when fighting against recognized nations; POW=Prisoner of War. During the Vietnam War, US POWs wore striped prison uniforms.
The anti-communist countries fighting the communists in the war, were: The US, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Thailand, South Korea, and South Vietnam.
US Servicemen had been fighting communists in South Vietnam since 1955.
The US offered to help south Vietnam in 1961 to help Vietnam preserve its independence from the North. It was during the Cold War, and the US was fighting Communist Russia across the world.
1. The US is not at war with Iraq. 2. The US was at war with North Vietnam.
The nation (country) of Vietnam didn't exist during the Vietnam War. Nor was any nation called "Vietnam" fighting the US. There was a country called North Vietnam that defeated the Republic of South Vietnam in 1975. The US was allied to the RVN (Republic of South Vietnam).
US Secretary of Defense during the Vietnam War.