How many times—­in my lifetime and in yours—­have the American people gathered, as they do now, to hear their President tell them of conflict and tell them of danger?

Each time they have answered.  They have answered with all the effort that the security and the freedom of this Nation required.

And they do again tonight in Vietnam.  Not too many years ago Vietnam was a peaceful, if troubled, land.  In the North was an independent Communist government.  In the South a people struggled to build a nation, with the friendly help of the United States.

There were some in South Vietnam who wished to force Communist rule on their own people.  But their progress was slight.  Their hope of success was dim.  Then, little more than 6 years ago, North Vietnam decided on conquest.  And from that day to this, soldiers and supplies have moved from North to South in a swelling stream that is swallowing the remnants of revolution in aggression.

As the assault mounted, our choice gradually became clear.  We could leave, abandoning South Vietnam to its attackers and to certain conquest, or we could stay and fight beside the people of South Vietnam.  We stayed.

And we will stay until aggression has stopped.

We will stay because a just nation cannot leave to the cruelties of its enemies a people who have staked their lives and independence on America’s solemn pledge—­a pledge which has grown through the commitments of three American Presidents.

We will stay because in Asia and around the world are countries whose independence rests, in large measure, on confidence in America’s word and in America’s protection.  To yield to force in Vietnam would weaken that confidence, would undermine the independence of many lands, and would whet the appetite of aggression.  We would have to fight in one land, and then we would have to fight in another—­or abandon much of Asia to the domination of Communists.

And we do not intend to abandon Asia to conquest.

Last year the nature of the war in Vietnam changed again.  Swiftly increasing numbers of armed men from the North crossed the borders to join forces that were already in the South.  Attack and terror increased, spurred and encouraged by the belief that the United States lacked the will to continue and that their victory was near.

Despite our desire to limit conflict, it was necessary to act:  to hold back the mounting aggression, to give courage to the people of the South, and to make our firmness clear to the North.  Thus. we began limited air action against military targets in North Vietnam.  We increased our fighting force to its present strength tonight of 190,000 men.

These moves have not ended the aggression but they have prevented its success.  The aims of the enemy have been put out of reach by the skill and the bravery of Americans and their allies—­and by the enduring courage of the South Vietnamese who, I can tell you, have lost eight men last year for every one of ours.