Did John F. Kennedy have it right?

"I am frankly of the belief that no amount of American military assistance 
in Indo-China can conquer an enemy which is everywhere, and at the same
time nowhere, and has the sympathy and covert support of the people".   
                                             
                                                     Senator John F. Kennedy 1954

After the Korean War debacle (1950-1953) with the loss of 33,000 American troops, America did not have the stomach for another Asian  war.  France had put the U.S. in a very precarious position.  When the French were being defeated at the siege of Dien Bien Phu (1954), they asked the U.S. for military intervention.  President Eisenhower considered the situation seriously, but did not have enough support from Congress to make the committment.  The sentiments of Congress as stated in the quote by then Senator John F. Kennedy reflect the idea that this was one situation that we did not think was a winnable effort.  If this is so, then did we change our stance on our relationship with France?  Was our monetary investment lost?  Did Kennedy have it right then?  If this was his thinking, then why did he involve us deeper later?