I agree that that is a problem with the system back then (and even now considering how much military power is under the POTUS). Regardless, those are the ones that are in charge so I think it is fair to say we, as in the society was not prepared for those conflicts.

And this repeated itself in the second world war. The late battles near japanese homeland were the first to reach the United States population without the heroic and patriotic filtering, all thanks to the work of Tom Lea.