In point of fact HR, the French OWNED Vietnam at the time, we could no more take it as a protectorate than France could have Hawaii or Alaska, regardless of what Vietnam's most famous Honda dealer said. Take such political posturing with a grain of salt, always - he was simply trying to foment trouble between two allies. World War Two started (supposedly) to restore Poland's pre-invasion, (an invasion our later ally, Stalin, was engaging in as well) government. Our difficulties with Japan that led to US involvement escalated to prevent Japanese military operations in French Indochina, (allowed by the Vichy French government at the behest of Hitler), as such access would strenghthen Japan and weaken China in their ongoing war. Our goals, therefor, were to restore Vietnam, Laos, (and, if I remember correctly, Cambodia) to French control, and to re-establish the Polish government. In view of those goals, one can argue that the Allies, (excepting Stalin, who had no INTENTION of allowing the Polich government he had helped destry be reconstituted) in fact lost WWII in Europe - and eventually lost it in the Pacific as well.
