3000 Killed in Iraq: In the Proper Perspective

Revolutionary War: (Total US population: 3.5 Million)
Killed - 4,435, Wounded - 6,188, Total - 10,623
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War of 1812: (Total US population: 7.6 Million)
Killed - 2,260, Wounded - 4,505, Total - 6,765
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Mexican War: (Total US population: 21.1 Million)
Killed- 13,283, Wounded - 4,152, Total - 17,435
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Civil War: (Total US population: 26.2 Million)
Union: Killed - 359,528, Wounded - 275,175, Total - 634,703
Confederate: Killed - 198,524, Wounded - 137,000, Total - 335,524
Combined: Killed - 558,052, Wounded - 412,175, Total - 970,227
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Spanish-American War: (Total US population: 74.6 Million)
Killed - 2,446, Wounded - 1,662, Total - 4,108
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World War I: (Total US population: 102.8 Million)
Killed - 116,708, Wounded - 204,002, Total - 320,710
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World War II: (Total US population: 133.5 Million)
Killed - 407,316, Wounded - 670,846, Total - 1,078,162
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Korean War: (Total US population: 151.7 Million)
Killed - 33,651, Wounded - 103,284, Total - 136,935
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Vietnam War: (Total US population: 204.9 Million)
Killed - 58,168, Wounded - 153,303, Total - 211,471
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Gulf War I: (Total US population: 260 Million)
Killed - 148, Wounded - 467, Total - 760
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Iraq War:
In terms of actual casualties per percentage of the US population (over 300,000,000 people) and considering the 3 and a half year time-frame, the current Iraq war, with 3,000 killed is somewhere between the First Gulf war and well behind the Spanish American War. In other words, a relative minor skirmish by historic standards as far as casualties go, with only a tiny increase above "normal" death rates the military would sustain during routine peacetime operations. In fact, throughout the "peacetime" of the 1980's, military deaths were actually at a higher rate than during today's war-time death rates. Of course, every life lost is an entire world lost, and casualty figures do not prove or disprove anyone’s position on the necessity or validity of the Iraq deployment; however keeping a proper perspective with history as our guild is not too much to ask of those who love to highlight casualty figures for cheep political points.
Joe Gelman

Update: Riehl World makes the point that during the entier Iraq war, it is estimated that over 63,000 Americans were murdered in the United States. Take into account auto accidents and other unfortunate tragic deaths and a more sober and realistic perspective comes into focus.

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