Surely, there are many ways to interpret war statistics, and no definitive total number can exist of those who have fallen. Personally, I have arrived at a number inclusive of all deaths related to service in a particular war; not just combat/battle deaths. Whatever numbers you conclude with, no one can dispute the staggering toll freedom and democracy have imposed and the importance of passing the torch to our future generations.
Today, at 3:00pm your local time, Memorial Day 2009, please pause for a minute of silence or a prayer to remember and pay homage to America’s fallen. There are approximately 1,195,065 counted among America’s war dead; the heroes who have given every last measure of devotion and sacrificed their lives in defense of freedom since the American Revolution began. Today is a day for more than barbecues and picnics and community gatherings. I don’t ask people to only mourn the fallen on this day. By all means, enjoy the weekend break and community festivities of this holiday. But please do so in remembrance that it is the deaths of those who have served in war who have given our society it’s irrevocable meaning; who give us reason to celebrate and enjoy an extended weekend.
Memorial Day, by the numbers:
American Revolution (1775 – 1783)
Total Servicemembers: 217,000
Battle Deaths: 4,435
Non-mortal Woundings: 6,188
War of 1812 (1812 – 1815)
Total Servicemembers: 286,730
Battle Deaths: 2,260
Non-mortal Woundings: 4,505
Indian Wars (1817 – 1898)
Total Servicemembers: 106,000
Battle Deaths: 1,000
Mexican War (1846 – 1848)
Total Servicemembers: 78,718
Battle Deaths: 1,733
Other Deaths in Service (non-theater): 11,550
Non-mortal Woundings: 4,152
Civil War (1861 – 1865)
Union
Total Servicemembers: 2,213,363
Battle Deaths: 140,414
Other Deaths in Service (non-theater): 224,097
Non-mortal Woundings: 281,881
Confederate
Total Servicemembers: 1,050,000 (see note 2)
Battle Deaths: 74,524 (see note 3)
Other Deaths in Service (non-theater): 59,297 (see notes 3, 4)
Non-mortal Woundings: Unknown
Spanish-American War (1898 – 1902)
Total Servicemembers (worldwide): 306,760
Battle Deaths: 385
Other Deaths in Service (non-theater): 2,061
Non-mortal Woundings: 1,662
World War I (1917 – 1918)
Total Servicemembers: 4,732,991
Battle Deaths: 53,402
Other Deaths in Service (non-theater): 63,114
Non-mortal Woundings: 204,002
Living veterans: fewer than 25
World War II (1940 – 1945)
Total Servicemembers: 16,112,566
Battle Deaths: 291,557
Other Deaths in Service (non-theater): 113,842
Non-mortal Woundings: 671,846
Living Veterans: 3,242,000 (see note 5)
Korean War (1950 – 1953)
Total Servicemembers: 5,720,000
Total Servicemembers (in-theater): 1,789,000
Battle Deaths: 33,741
Other Deaths in Service (in-theater): 2,833
Other Deaths in Service (non-theater): 17,672
Non-mortal Woundings: 103,284
Living Veterans: 3,086,400
Vietnam War (1964 – 1975)
Total Servicemembers (worldwide): 8,744,000 see note 6
Total Servicemembers (in-theater): 3,403,000 see note 7
Battle Deaths: 47,424 see note 8
Other Deaths in Service (in-theater): 10,785 see note 8
Other Deaths in Service (non-theater) 32,000 see note 8
Non-mortal Woundings: 153,303 see note 9
Living Veterans: 7,125,000 see notes 5, 10
Gulf War (1990 – 1991)
Total Servicemembers (worldwide): 2,322,000
Total Servicemembers (in-theater): 694,550
Battle Deaths: 147
Other Deaths in Service (in-theater): 235
Other Deaths in Service (non-theater): 1,590
Non-mortal Woundings: 467
Living Veterans: 2,269,000 (see notes 5, 10)
Global War on Terror (2001 – Present)
Total Servicemembers (worldwide): 1,384,968
Total Servicemembers (in-theater): 165,000
Battle Deaths: 3,890
Other Deaths in Service: 1,077
Non-mortal Woundings: 34,128
Living Veterans: 588,923 (see note 10)
America’s War Totals (Revolution – Present)
U.S. Military Service During War: 43,275,096
Battle Deaths: 654,912
Other Deaths (in-theater): 14,930
Other Deaths in Service (non-theater): 525,223
Non-mortal Woundings: 1,465,418
Living War Veterans: 16,311,348
Living Veterans (War & Peacetime): 23,442,000
(Sources: Pentagon; Department of Veterans Affairs)
FOOTNOTES
- Exact number is unknown. Posted figure is the median of estimated range from 184,000 – 250,000.
- Exact number is unknown. Posted figure is median of estimated range from 600,000 – 1,500,000.
- Death figures are based on incomplete returns.
- Does not include 26,000 to 31,000 who died in Union prisons.
- Estimate based upon new population projection methodology.
- Covers the period 05 August 1964 – 27 January 1973 (date of cease fire)
- Department of Defense estimate
- Covers 01 November 1955 – 15 May 1975
- Excludes 150,332 not requiring hospital care
- Department of Veterans Affairs estimates, as of May 2008; does not include those still in active service and may also include veterans who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
