General J. Lawton Collins was asked about Vietnam during the panel interview on Meet The Press from February 2, 1955. The occasion being his return from a visit to Vietnam as well as the Southeast Asia region and his assessment of the situation from a U.S. point of view.

Gen. J. Lawton Collins: “I don’t want to appear overly optimistic, Mister Spivak, but I think that in the past four weeks that President Ze-em, as he pronounces it, has made genuine progress toward establishing a progressive program in his country. And if this program is fully implemented, then I think there’s a least a 50-50 chance that South Vietnam can remain free.”

Lawrence Spivak: “ Well General, just how important is that area to our security and our safety?”

Collins: “Well, it’s not of immediate importance to the security of the United States. It is of tremendous importance to the security of all of Southeast Asia. And therefore, since we are interested in maintaining peace throughout the Pacific area, then South Vietnam is of great importance to us.”

And the rest, as they always say, is history.