As the Vietnam War drew to a close, it became clear that the American military had experienced a devastating defeat to a communist adversary. It was the first loss in U.S. history. Ironically, at the same time the danger from the greater nemesis of global communism was on the decline. 1973 to 2004 was a time when the American military would reach an all-time low only to reemerge as the world's single superpower with a new role as the world's policeman. 1973 - Vietnam War: Cease-Fire Ends War; 1983 - The Grenada Conflict; 1990 - The Gulf War; 1991 - End of the Cold War; 2003 - Gulf War II.