In Malaya the British realised that to beat the enemy they had to leave the roads, tracks etc. and take to the jungle, (as in Burma, previously), in this particular element the post WW2 resurgent SAS made their name. The British used, to a great extent, the 'Hearts and Minds' tactic and turned the locals against the terrorists, leaving the terrorists isolated as well as cut off from their supply lines. Starved of supplies, local support and roundly beaten in their own territory, the jungle, the terrorists lost.
Possibly not the entire US Army, but certainly some elements, used these same tactics it Vietnam with considerable success.