Yeah, you've heard the word. In fact, you've probably heard the word so much lately, that you no longer think anything of it.
The cost of freedom has always been high and America has always been willing to pay the price...at least up to World War II. Since then, we have involved ourselves with "police actions" in Korea, Viet Nam and the Dominican Republic, not to mention several other forays, much too small to bring a mention in the history books. These interventions in civil wars were always billed as "stopping communism, to protect our freedom" but actually divided our country in ways that no other foreign wars had ever done before.
Now, once again, we have sent our brave children in harm's way. We were first told, we had to invade Iraq to protect our nation from attack and then, when no first strike weapons could be found, our Administration decided that we were fighting for freedom. In this cause, we have killed over 100,000 Iraqis and have lost over 1,600 of our own while incurring over 12,000 wounded.
As we celebrate this Memorial holiday, let us not forget the sacrifices of those who have fallen and let us never, never send another young man or woman to their death unless it is truly for our freedom.
Conflict Combat Other Wounded Total
Revolutionary War.................4,435...............*.....................6,188.............10,623
War of 1812............................2,260...............*....................4,505................6,765
Mexican War...........................1,733...........11,550.............4,152..............17,435
Civil War: Union................ 110,070........249,458.........275,175...........634,703
...........Confederate...............74,524........124,000.........137,000...........335,524
...........Combined................184,594........373,458.........412,175...........970,227
Spanish-American War............385.............2,061..............1,662...............4,108
World War I............................53,513..........63,195..........204,002..........320,710
World War II.........................292,131........115,185..........670,846......1,078,162
Korean War............................33,651...............*................103,284..........136,935
Vietnam War..........................47,369...........10,799.........153,303..........211,471
Gulf War.......................................148.................145.................467..................760
Iraq War....................................1,654...................92...........12,348
Combat deaths refers to troops killed in action or dead of wounds. Other includes deaths from disease, privation, and accidents, and includes losses among prisoners of war. Wounded excludes those who died of their wounds, who are included under Combat Deaths.
Gallery of those killed during the Iraqi War: http://cryptome.net/dead/dead-gallery.htm
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