Australia has been a staunch ally of the United States, fighting side by side with the U.S. in World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the first Gulf War, and Howard argued that Australians should always remember that no nation is more important to our long-term security than that of the United States.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: johnhoward314

We asked two questions about World War II, Vietnam, the 1991 Gulf War and the current Iraq War.

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Later in the afternoon, Cheney, the vice president-elect, ascended a stage at Washington's George Washington University for his formal "Salute to America's Veterans, " an afternoon of tributes to veterans of World War II and the Korean, Vietnam and Persian Gulf conflicts.

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