To understand both of these conflicts, one must put them into the global context in which they happened. In the case of the Korean War, China had just fallen to communism, and the West was worried that communism would rapidly spread further into Asia. A strong stand against communist aggression in South Korea would also send the message to the U.S.'s European allies that the U.S. would stand against communism wherever it appeared. Whether the loss of American lives in Korea was worth it is a matter of personal opinion. On one hand, the U.S. was able to ensure South Korea's survival as a nation and the military objective of stopping communist expansion was met; however, South Korea is still at risk of North Korean aggression even fifty years after an armistice ended active hostilities.
American intervention in Vietnam is a bit harder to justify (though one can certainly do...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
so). In the case of Vietnam, South Vietnam ultimately fell to North Vietnam soon after U.S. forces left the country in 1973. The 1975 takeover by the North and the ensuing humanitarian crisis of Vietnamese refugees made American losses appear wasteful since the military objective—stopping the spread of communism—was not met. The United States spent thousands of lives and millions of dollars trying to prop up the South Vietnamese government; however, this government never had the backing of the South Vietnamese population due to its ineptitude and corruption. American losses can be seen as necessary only in the sense that they demonstrated that the U.S. was willing to project force in order to stop the spread of communism.
There are certainly some similarities in the two wars—in both cases, U.S. territorial sovereignty was not directly threatened, yet Americans fought to maintain borders drawn by compromises between the communist and Western bloc nations. The Korean War's losses can be viewed as necessary since the military objective was maintained—South Korea still exists as a vital American trade and diplomatic partner in the region. The Vietnam War's losses are arguably more wasteful, since South Vietnam collapsed soon after U.S. forces left in 1973; therefore, the military objective was not gained.