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Kennedy and the Cold War Do you know what the word war really means? Did you ever see the effect war has on people? Do you know what it is like to put your life on the line for your county? Do you understand what it is to be an American? All of these points were tried when John F. Kennedy became the President and got involved in a conflict called Vietnam. The Americans have been involved in Vietnam since the 1950’s. The United States provided the French with a large amount of economic and military support. The United States decided to help the French since they had a strong alliance and to try and stop the world wide spread of the communist threat. Even though the United Stated helped the French, they still could not control the revolts that were taking place. The French took over a part of Vietnam called Indochina, which consisted of Vietnam and neighboring Laos and Cambodia. They controlled that land from the late 1800’s until World War II when the Japanese took over the land that they occupied. The French used their lands in Vietnam to grow rice and rubber which they sold for their own profit. By keeping almost all the profit, social unrest among Vietnamese peasants began to grow. Once the French rulers f