Lyndon B. Johnson

Lyndon Johnson took over the presidency when JFK was assassinated. Although JFK had already committed some troops to Vietnam, it was under Johnson that the number of troops involved in the conflict significantly increased. Johnson made the choice to not call up the National Guards or the military reserves in an attempt to avoid having to consult Congress on the continuing conflict in Vietnam. Instead, Johnson re-instituted the draft, calling up young American men to fight in the conflict.

Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan was an American actor who entered politics in the seventies. During World War II, Ronald Reagan was a soldier assigned to a special unit whose task it was to make training films. This was Reagan's only experience as a soldier. However, he developed a respect for soldiers that would be life long.

Reagan ran for the Republican nomination for President against Gerald Ford...