The U.S. was involved in the Vietnam War from the 1950s to 1975 in an effort to prevent the communist government of North Vietnam from overtaking the democratic republic of  South Vietnam and creating a unified communist Vietnam.

Asian Americans drafted into the military during the Vietnam War spoke out against the war along with other veterans when they came back from their tour of duty. Japanese Americans Mike Nakayama and Scott Shimabukuro were among over 100 veterans and civilian contractors who participated in the 1971 Winter Soldier Investigation in Detroit, Michigan. This was a 3-day event in January, held by the organization Vietnam Veterans Against the War. It allowed former soldiers to give testimony about the war crimes they committed or witnessed abroad.