In the 1950s and 1960s and on into the 1970s, the United States was involved in two wars fought far from home-one in aid of South Korea against the neighboring Communist North Korea, and a second waged through the jungles of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Both of these military engagements were a reaction to what the United States feared as being Communist takeovers, and were surrounded by a strong degree of political controversy. This book explores both wars in detail to help readers understand why the conflicts occurred and what their lasting effects have been.