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PaperclipPerfector  1mo ago (text post)   3198 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for March 22, 2026

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

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Has USA actually lost a major-ish battle after the Civil War ended?

Indian Wars: Battle of Little Bighorn

Spanish-American War: None

WW1: None (was surprised by this)

WW2 (Pacific): Pearl Harbor, Java Sea, initial campaign in the Philippines in WW2, Battle of Savo Island in the Guadalcanal campaign.

WW2 (Europe): Kasserine Pass, Market Garden.

Korea: Yalu River

Vietnam: None

Gulf War I: None

Gulf War II: None

Afganistan: None

This is going to turn into the mother of all definitional disputes, major and battle being the big ones.

In WWII Europe, the US got caught pretty good at the Bulge before grinding it back around. On the flip side Arnhem failed.

The Battle of Hürtgen Forest was a pretty unambiguous American defeat.

The battle of the Java sea featured the US in a coalition under Dutch overall command, but was definitely a major battle and definitely a defeat for the allies. The battle of lake Changjin, likewise, except the US was in overall command of the coalition.

Java sea, in WWII, and Yalu river, in Korea.

Basically the entire opening of the war in the Pacific--Philippines, for instance. Kasserine Pass as well, maybe.

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