Vietnam or Korean War: During Which War Did These Major US Victories Take Place?

MILITARY

By: Gavin Thagard

6 Min Quiz

Image: TerryJ/E+/Getty Images

About This Quiz

If World War I was the war to end all wars, then World War II must have seemed like an apocalypse for those who were forced to take part in it. Luckily, the war did end, but it wouldn't be the last global conflict. The Cold War launched immediately after the war ended, and the United States was engulfed in various conflicts in its mission to contain the USSR and communism. 

The first attempt to contain communism took place on the Korean Peninsula which was divided into the communist North supported by Russia and China and the democratic South aided by the United Nations. The Korean War would end in a stalemate, but it put on display the state of the world and signaled what many believed would be an inevitable Third World War. 

The Vietnam War soon followed the Korean War, and the United States was adamant about sticking to its position on containing communism. The war carried on for years as support waned at home, where the country was tired of fighting on the other side of the globe. Though the U.S. military had major successes on the battlefield, they would be forced to pull out, leaving behind a weak democratic government to defend against the ever-growing communist North. It would be considered the only war America lost. 

What battles made up these two conflicts, though? Can you recall if these American victories were during the Korean War or the Vietnam War? Here's your chance to find out. Get started with this quiz and put your military history knowledge to the ultimate test!

Taking place around the Sobuk-san mountain, when was the Battle of Battle Mountain?

Prior to the Korean War, North Korea and South Korea were divided along the 38th parallel. This line of division changed on June 25, 1950,​ when North Korean invaded South Korea.

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Part of Operation Junction City, when was the Battle of Ap Gu?

Prior to U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, the country was a colony of the French empire. After WWII ended, a communist threat started to rise in the northern part of Vietnam, so the State of Vietnam was created in the south.

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When was the Battle of Hamburger Hill?

Communist rebels arose in South Vietnam looking to overthrow the South Vietnamese government. These rebels were known as the Viet Cong.

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When was the Battle of Bloody Ridge?

The United States entered the Korean War as part of their containment policy initiated after WWII. The policy stated that the United States would provide the resources necessary for foreign countries to combat communism.

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With both sides suffering massive losses, in which war did the Battle of the Bowling Alley occur?

The Cold War was a conflict of political ideology between the United States and the USSR. The Korean War marked the first military engagement as a result of the conflict.

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Won partially because of air support, when was the Battle of Prek Klok II?

In 1954, the French Army was annihilated during the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. The defeat forced France to engage in peace talks at the Geneva Conference.

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During which war was the Battle of Haman?

An estimated 4 million people or more died during the Korean War. Most of those deaths were civilians.

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When was the Battle of Heartbreak Ridge?

North Korea was supported by both Russia and China during the war. South Korea was supported by the United Nations, led by the United States.

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During which war was Operation Essex?

Vietnam agreed to the Geneva Accords on July 21, 1954. The agreement divided the country along the 17th parallel.

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Part of a clear and search strategy, when was Operation Oklahoma Hills?

U.S. involvement in the Vietnam conflict slowly increased during the late '50s and early '60s. Initially, the U.S. only sent advisors to help South Vietnam combat the north.

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When was Operation Santa Fe?

By 1969, the United States had more than 500,000 troops in South Vietnam. The increased involvement by the U.S. led to anti-war protests in the United States.

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In hopes of taking a military outpost, when was the Battle of Hill Eerie fought?

One of the most heroic U.S. soldiers of the war was a horse named Sgt. Reckless. The horse famously carried supplies to the battle lines and pulled wounded soldiers from the field.

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When was the Third Battle of the Hook?

Pablo Picasso produced a painting in 1951 about the Korean War known as Massacre in Korea. The painting reflected mass killings in the town of Sinchon.

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Involving a mission to rescue two Marine companies, when was Operation Swift?

U.S. involvement reached full-scale after the Gulf of Tonkin incident. During the incident, a U.S. destroyer was attacked by North Vietnam, though the attack was initially exaggerated by the U.S. government.

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Codenamed Operation Chromite, when was the Battle of Inchon?

Since Korea was occupied by Japan during WWII, the country was divided when the war ended. The United States occupied South Korea, while the Soviet Union occupied North Korea.

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In which war was the Battle of Nam Dong?

Congress granted President Lyndon Johnson the power to go to war against North Vietnam on August 7, 1964. The resolution passed because North Vietnam violated the Geneva Accords.

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Part of Operation Masher, when was the Battle of Bong Son?

One of the largest attacks launched by North Vietnam was known as the Tet Offensive. It was launched during Tet, which is the Vietnamese New Year.

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During which war was the Battle of Ka-san?

The Korean War saw the first jet vs. jet air fight. It took place on November 8, 1950, when an F-80C fought a MiG-15.

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When was the Battle of An Bao?

College campuses in the United States were leaders in the anti-war demonstrations. The demonstrations led to four deaths at Kent State University when the National Guard fired on the demonstrators.

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When was the Battle of Kyongju?

The Korean War was the first time in which the United Nations engaged in a conflict. A total of 16 countries sent troops to South Korea.

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During which war was the Battle of An Ninh?

One of the most horrific incidents of the Vietnam War was the My Lai Massacre. The massacre resulted in the killing of hundreds of women, children, and the elderly by U.S. troops.

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With U.S. forces pushed back to the Pusan Perimeter, when was the Battle of Masan?

More than 7,000 American soldiers from the Korean War are unaccounted for. Fifty-five boxes of remains were released to the United Nations by North Korea in 2018.

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When was the Battle of Nam River?

Congress never officially declared war on North Korea. Since there was no formal declaration, President Truman was able to extend the power of the presidency.

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In which war was the Battle of Lo Giang?

North Vietnam supplied the Viet Cong during the war along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The Viet Cong mainly used guerrilla tactics to combat the United States who had superior firepower​.

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With U.S. forces defending Duc Lap Camp, when was the Battle of Duc Lap?

In the early '70s, the United States invaded both Laos and Cambodia in an effort to cut off the supply lines set up by North Vietnam. The invasions increased anti-war sentiments in the United States.

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An early conflict in the war, when did the Battle of the Notch take place?

Kenneth Shadrick was the first U.S. soldier to die in the Korean War. Shadrick was a private from West Virginia.

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When was the Battle of Hill 488?

The Vietnam War was the second-longest war in U.S. history. It is only exceeded by the Afghanistan War.

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During which war was the Battle of the Punchbowl?

Truce talks between supporters of both North and South Korea began in 1951. The talks lasted for more than two years as progress was constantly met by a stalemate.

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When was the Battle of Pyongyang?

Prostitutes were widely available for troops during the Korean War. The South Korean government even provided women to serve as prostitutes for its soldiers.

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Part of Operation Shenandoah II, when was the First Battle of Loc Ninh?

One of the worse strategies launched by the United States was the "strategic hamlet" program. The program removed peasants from their ancestral land, which led to their resentment of the American presence in Vietnam.

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During which war was the Battle of Suoi Tre?

The United States partially failed in South Vietnam because it couldn't find a stable leader to run the country. After the assassination of the first President of the Republic of Vietnam, Ngo Dinh Diem, in 1963, a series of military leaders stepped into power.

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One of the final conflicts in the war, when was the Battle of the Samichon River?

The Korean War ended on July 27, 1953. The armistice that ended the war was signed by General Mark Clark of the United States Army.

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In an effort to defend engineers building a tactically important road, when was the Battle of Suoi Bong Trang?

A cease-fire was called at the beginning of 1973 between North Vietnam and the United States. By March, all U.S. troops were evacuated from Vietnam, leaving the country divided.

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During which war was the Battle of Suwon Airfield?

When the war ended, a demilitarization zone was created to serve as a buffer between North and South Korea. The United States decided to leave troops in South Korea in case​ the North launched another invasion.

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When was the Battle of Tam Quan?

In 1975, North Vietnam captured Saigon, the capital of the South. After years of fighting, the country was united into one communist state.

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