In both world wars the USA enjoyed much larger industrial capacity (which was never under any serious thread) and fleet power (multiple times that of the entire axis) against its enemies. Not to forget the excellent continental island position the US is in. The Empire of Japan was ground to dust, with much of its army not able to face the US because of the invasion of China. In Europe the US faced depleted armies, the USSR received most military attention of the european axis powers.
In WW1 the US only joined when the central powers were already depleted.
Can we call wars where the US mainland was completely untouched and its foes had no means of doing so "equal footing?" Not to mention the US arrived late to both wars, facing off a Germany that more than had its hands full (and was facing severe resource shortages) both times, and a Japan that was suffering severe resource shortages and had most of its military focused on China...
Why wouldn't you count the world wars?
In both world wars the USA enjoyed much larger industrial capacity (which was never under any serious thread) and fleet power (multiple times that of the entire axis) against its enemies. Not to forget the excellent continental island position the US is in. The Empire of Japan was ground to dust, with much of its army not able to face the US because of the invasion of China. In Europe the US faced depleted armies, the USSR received most military attention of the european axis powers.
In WW1 the US only joined when the central powers were already depleted.
Can we call wars where the US mainland was completely untouched and its foes had no means of doing so "equal footing?" Not to mention the US arrived late to both wars, facing off a Germany that more than had its hands full (and was facing severe resource shortages) both times, and a Japan that was suffering severe resource shortages and had most of its military focused on China...