Reagan's Rhetoric

President Ronald Reagan is often credited with turning public opinion about the Vietnam War. After the Fall of Saigon in 1975, the Vietnam War remained a dark moment in American history that citizens and politicians alike tried to avoid in public discourse. With Reagan's 1980 campaign speech at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Convention in Chicago, rhetoric about the war shifted from an uncomfortable discussion to one that celebrated veteran sacrifice. Reagan urged Americans to overcome the "Vietnam Syndrome" and to acknowledge that the war was a "noble cause."

Within this rhetoric, Reagan also marginalized female veterans. This exhibit shows his words in context in order to demonstrate how Reagan's rhetoric has marginalized female veterans from American historical memory and masculinized veteran sacrifice. Included in this exhibit are six speeches Reagan gave between 1980-1988, that heavily address the Vietnam War:

• "Peace:Restoring the Margin of Safety," August 18, 1980
• "Remarks at Memorial Day Ceremonies Honoring an Unknown Serviceman of the Vietnam Conflict," May 28, 1984
• "Remarks at a White House Ceremony Marking the Observance of National P.O.W./M.I.A. Recognition Day," July 20, 1984
• "Remarks at the Dedication Ceremonies for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Statue," November 11, 1984
• "Remarks at a Memorial Day Ceremony at Arlington National Cemetary in Virginia," May 26, 1986
• "Remarks at the Veterans Day Ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial," November 11, 1988