Explain how the U.S. became involved in the politics of Southeast Asia

Answer 1

http://www.jiskha.com/display.cgi?id=1269813077

Answer 2

The French colonized SE Asia. The communists tried to overthrow the French colonial governments. We were afraid of the "domino effect" where if one country fell to the commies, the rest would follow. We went into Vietnam to help the French after their defeat at Dien Bien Phu.