CHANGE: Mattis Visits Vietnam Seeking to Expand Security Relationship.

The former enemies have gradually set aside their wartime differences, in part out of shared concern about China’s growing military power and more assertive position in the South China Sea. The Trump administration sees Vietnam as a partner in opposing China’s assertion of territorial claims in the South China Sea, including the Spratlys, an island chain where Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Brunei also have claims.

Mattis said he didn’t expect the war to come up in his talks in Vietnam.

“That largely has been made a matter of the past,” he said aboard his flight to Asia.

Vietnam is also a very young country, demographically speaking. Only about 15% of the population is old enough to have any adult memories of the war, and nearly 40% is under the age of 25 — and look just like blue-jean wearing kids anywhere.