Memorial Day 2013: Historical US Military Deaths

In the U.S. the upcoming Memorial Day weekend is very much in our thoughts, with visions in our heads of impending parades, barbeque's, time spent with family, and general relaxation. However, we at The Globe at War would also like to remind everyone of the true purpose of Memorial Day; that being taking the time to honor the sacrifices made by our fellow citizens during times of war.

To that end the following table lists the total number of military deaths suffered by this nation's armed services during selected wars and campaigns in our history. There is no question that those wounded, lost, or otherwise maimed (either physically or psychologically) also deserve our respectful acknowledgement. That said, here we choose to note the total numbers of those who made the ultimate sacrifice; and gave up their lives for their nation, families, beliefs, and/or comrades in arms.

Please note that there are a number of controversies associated with the numbers provided below. For instance, a 2010 report prepared for Congress found 2,260 battle deaths for the War of 1812, but other sources state as many as 15,000 US deaths occurred in total (likely including civilian deaths). This thus leaves the 2,260 figure looking somewhat incomplete if one were trying to ascertain the true impact on the nation. The Civil War totals provided are for both Confederate and Union forces, but these numbers remain very much in question (particularly in regards to total Confederate losses). As such consider the number listed below as a rough estimate. What's more, these figures again do not include civilian deaths. In addition, note that the number provided below for World War II includes the US Coast Guard and Merchant Marine. Moreover, the total provided for the Korean War is in-theater deaths only. If one includes out of theater deaths (a total that would include those at hospitals in the U.S. or elsewhere dying of wounds received in-theater) that total rises to 54,246.