Funniest thing I read all day. We weren't fighting in Vietnam either until suddenly things were going so badly that we rushed in 500,000 troops. That's when it really went south.
What do Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and Ukraine have in common. We had no idea what victory would look like not one that was achievable with the means that we were willing to put in?
Great book for warmongers:
It's a pretty good book about how not to get into a war you are going to lose by not winning it, which is our sad history for a long time.