One of the most devastating events in the 20th Century that put the United States in an entirely different light as far as its prestige and status as the leader of the free world was its involvement in the war in Vietnam. In fact, it has been repeatedly stated that this was the first war that the United States had ever lost. Explain how did we find ourselves in the middle of a quagmire and how was it possible that the most imposing and effective military in the world lost out to a third rate, backwards guerrilla operation that could not in any way match our firepower and our willingness to meet the perceived Communist threat in Southeast Asia..

One of the most devastating events in the 20th Century that put the United States in an entirely different light as far as its prestige and status as the leader of the free world was its involvement in the war in Vietnam. In fact, it has been repeatedly stated that this was the first war that the United States had ever lost. Explain how did we find ourselves in the middle of a quagmire and how was it possible that the most imposing and effective military in the world lost out to a third rate, backwards guerrilla operation that could not in any way match our firepower and our willingness to meet the perceived Communist threat in Southeast Asia..