Source: There is no dollar amount that you could assign for the number of sacrifices made by men and women in uniform on behalf of the nation and its citizenship in order to maintain the freedoms and liberties afforded to us. Putting it into perspective, the number of those that serve in the military gives light to the importance of remembering those that have gave everything.
Since 1776, this Nation has faced a number of conflicts that have resulted in its citizens having to serve on the battlefield. There are hundreds of armed conflicts recorded in America’s history, some of them even before America was officially a nation. However, the official “wars” are the conflicts which are most noted According to the US Department of Veteran Affairs, and below are the most accurate stats related to each specific war and casualty report.
American Revolutionary War. This war resulted in the United States of America earning its independence from Great Britain. America lost over 4,400 soldiers in battle, with another 6,100 soldiers wounded.
War of 1812. The British Empire tried to reclaim the United States, however, this war further confirmed America’s Independence. America’s Military lost almost 2,300 lives, while 4,500 soldiers incurred injury.
Mexican War. The United States was at war with Mexico over territory. The US military lost 13,000 soldiers in various battles, while another 4,100 of those that served suffered injury.
Civil War. The United States was divided between the north and the south. Both sides of the war, the Union and Confederacy, lost tens of thousands of lives on the battlefield. The Union lost over 140,000 soldiers in the field, while the South lost 74,500 thousand. Another 281,000 fighters for the Union became injured, while the number is unknown for the Confederacy.
World War I. At the time of WWI, total US Service Members reached 4.7 million. The US experienced the loss of over 53,000 soldiers, with another 63 thousand becoming injured.
World War II. America’s fighting forces had reached over 16 million service members. Between Europe, Asia, and other areas around the world, the United States’ losses had reached six figures (over 291,000 soldiers) with another 100,000 lives in smaller conflict areas. Almost 671 thousand other service members experienced injury.
Korean War. During The Korean War, also known as the forgotten war, the United States saw almost 34,000 service members die in battle, and another 100,000 were injured.
Vietnam War. The United States had sent roughly forty-percent of its fighting forces to Southeast Asia. Over 58,000 service men and woman met their death in the conflict with another 32,000 service members losing their lives during that time. Over 150,000 service members faced injury.
Desert Storm/Desert Shield. The Gulf Wars saw a drop in the total amount of lives lost by the United States in battle. Almost 400 Service members were lost with another 500 being injured.
The Global War on Terror. This is the longest war in America’s history, which began in 2001. The war includes Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraq Freedom, and other related conflicts and operations. These numbers and their totals have not yet been made available as it is still ongoing.
When you add up the amount of lives sacrificed in defending our nation’s freedoms, millions of people either died or have become injured on behalf of the rest of the nation’s citizenship. There are an estimated 17 million Veterans that have experienced the battlefield.
In Honor of every Veteran that has served, Project Help, its Board Members, Volunteers, donors, and Corporate Partners say, “Thank you for your service.”
Samuel K. Burlum is an Investigative Reporter who authors articles related to economic development, innovation, green technology, business strategy, and public policy concerns. Samuel K. Burlum is also a career entrepreneur, who currently lends his expertise as a Consultant firm to start-up companies, small businesses, and mid-size enterprises, providing advisement in several areas including strategic business planning, business development, supply chain management, and systems integration. He is also author of “The Race to Protect Our Most Important Natural Resource-Water,” and “Main Street Survival Guide for Small Businesses.”