Tuesday, May 28, 2024
Year : 2, Issue: 22
The Cost of War
Memorial Day, observed annually in the U.S. on the final Monday of May, provides the opportunity to honor members of the United States armed forces who have died while serving the country. During military conflicts specifically, well over 600,000 have lost their lives since the First World War, according to data maintained by the government.
The deadliest conflict for the U.S. over this time frame was World War II, during which more than 400,000 service members died, data from the Defense Casualty Analysis System shows. More than 7,000 service members died as part of 21st-century military operations tied to Afghanistan and Iraq.
Yet these conflict-centered counts don’t reflect all American military lives lost. Overall, from 1980 to 2022, nearly 61,000 people died while on active military duty, amounting to over 1,400 deaths annually on average and including an average of more than 250 each year who died by self-inflicted wounds. Accidents, illnesses, homicides and self-inflicted wounds account for the vast majority of the death toll over that period.
What follows are the active-duty death tolls of the major U.S. military conflicts since the start of the 20th century, with totals broken down to reflect the Defense Casualty Analysis System listing them as either hostile or battle deaths, as other deaths, or as nonhostile deaths.
Hostile deaths largely encompass service members who were killed in action or died of wounds, but can also include those declared dead after being captured, detained or missing in action, or those killed by terrorist activities. Nonhostile deaths include those from causes including accidents or illness, and can include service members who were missing and presumed dead
World War I
Total U.S. Deaths: 116,516
Battle Deaths: 53,402
Other Deaths: 63,114
World War II
Total U.S. Deaths: 405,399
Battle Deaths: 291,557
Other Deaths: 113,842
Korean War
Total U.S. Deaths: 36,574
Hostile Deaths: 33,739
Nonhostile Deaths: 2,835
Persian Gulf War
Total U.S. Deaths: 382
Hostile Deaths: 147
Nonhostile Deaths: 235
Iraq-Related Operations
Total U.S. Deaths: 4,605
Hostile Deaths: 3,542
Nonhostile Deaths: 1,063
*Includes Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn and Operation Inherent Resolve. Deaths that did not occur in Iraq are included.
Afghanistan-Related Operations
Total U.S. Deaths: 2,459
Hostile Deaths: 1,922
Nonhostile Deaths: 537
*Includes Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. Deaths that did not occur in Afghanistan are included.
U.S. Military Deaths by War
World War I: 116,516
World War II: 405,399
Korean War: 36,574
Vietnam War: 58,220
Persian Gulf War: 382
Iraq-Related Operations: 4,605
Afghanistan-Related Operations: 2,459
Courtesy by US News
