Sunday, May 29, 2011

664,863 Final Goodbyes

Our obligations to our country never cease but with our lives.
John Adams (1735 - 1826)


Today is Memorial Day - a day to remember. Let the numbers speak. Let them show what it took to protect her borders and ideals. And let us not forget the lessons and those who taught them.

In honor we remember. . .

MAJOR WAR _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _DEATHS *

AMERICAN
REVOLUTIONARY WAR
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 4,435

WAR OF 1812 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _2,260

CIVIL WAR _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _214,938

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ 140,414 Union _ _ 74,524 Confederates

WW1_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 53,402

WW2 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 291,557

KOREA_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _33,741

VIETNAM _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 58,479

IRAQ/AFGHANISTAN
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _6,051+
(ongoing)

* I tried to verify the numbers using several sources; unfortunately for some of the wars I found conflicting totals. Please forgive any errors if my numbers are different from what you know.
Also my choice to use only the major wars was to make a more dramatic showing and is in no way belittling the losses incurred during smaller wars, skirmishes, police actions, etc.

1 comment:

  1. These numbers bring tears to my eyes. So many young men and women are so ready to give up their lives for us and for freedom. How can we ever thank them?

    Thank you for this post and for the reminder of how many brave souls we've lost

    ReplyDelete