Sandwiched between the American victory in World War II and the nation’s defeat in Vietnam, the Korean conflict was dubbed the “Forgotten War.” It did not require the broad mobilization and national effort of World War II, and many Americans did not understand why the nation was fighting in a war half-a-world away. The conflict also occurred at a time of growing domestic prosperity. However, the three-year conflict cost the lives of more than 36,500 Americans and wounded over 103,000. It also eroded the popularity of President Harry S. Truman and heightened fears of Communism as a threat to national security at home and abroad. In the end, the Korean War tested the resolve of Americans to contest the burgeoning Cold War with the Soviet Union and China. It also confirmed the potential of the United Nations as a force to counter aggression.