American Dinosaur

Death Perception

Reflections of the "Grim Milestone"

I read this POST at Speed of Thought and decided to put my two cents in on the MSM and Moonbat fascination and celebration of the "Grim Milestone". For those of you who live under the bridge, it represents the 2000th combat death in Iraq. To those on the anti-American left, it is the defining moment in which a clenched fist is raised and we are to acknowledge the error in our ways. The turning point that justifies a withdrawal from Iraq and a cessation in our imperialistic adventure. No more blood-for-oil.

I want to preface the rest of this post by stating the loss of 2000 of America's best and brightest is as great a lost to this generation as all other warriors that have made the sacrifice for this great nation in the past. I mourn their loss and pray for their families

I tried to understand why the anti-American war protestors and their cohorts are so fascinated by the number of war dead and point to this satistic as evidence of a cause that is too expensive. I came to realize that the majority of these people have no Death Perception. In other words no sense of history either American or world for that matter.

American schools no longer teach the history of sacrifice and the tremendous cost of freedom. Our children are taught that America is an imperialistic monster that imposes our will on weaker nations. No war is justified and especially ones that Americans are involved in. It is most unfortunate that the historical perspective is lost in a politically correct revision of America's history.

The Revolutionary War was fought from 1775-1783, with over 25,000 Americans losing their lives. When General Bendict Arnold's army marched to Quebec the Americans lost up to 50 men a day to small pox and related battlefield illnesses. The suffering and privations experienced by the Continental Army during the war rivaled Napoleon's worst nightmares during the retreat from Russia. The Americans lost far more battles than they won, but never gave up.

Our schools do not teach about the two World Wars that America did not start but finished at the cost 525,000 lives. Many do not know how many lives were saved when General Blackjack Pershing refused to throw American lives away by the millions despite the pleading of the French and English. Indivdual battle losses like 13,000 on Okinawa, 6,800 on Iwo Jima, and 2000 on D-Day. What would these people say today when the losses after D-Day averaged 1400 killed per week for the next six weeks?

The Vietnam War brought war protesting to a level never seen before is our History. There has always been protests, some very violent, like the anti-draft riots in New York during the American Civil War. Many of these protestors are teaching our children today. They are reliving the "Good Old Days" of their past anti-war activities with a renewed zeal. The current generation has no concept of past contributions of American military intervention around the world. Our expenditure of blood and treasure before, during, and after major conflicts has been enormous. The fact that we remain the worlds last superpower speaks volumes to the will and intestinal fortitude we as a people possess.

One major difference we have encountered during the Iraq war is the MSM in this country is no longer on our side. They have chosen politics over country and headlines over the safety of our troops. For many of us the "Grim Milestone" represents something very different. The young men and women who have paid the ultimate price of freedom with their lives are the last in a series of heroes that preceded them in our history. They understood the risk, they knew the cost, and paid without hesitation. All the dissention, whining and complaining does not come from their ranks.

American Soldiers have very good death perception. They are why we live in the greatest nation on the earth.

Years Location Killed and Wounded
1775-1783 (1) Revolutionary War 25324 8445 --
1789 Indian Wars 6125 2156 --
1798-1800 Franco-Amer Naval War 20 42 --
1801-1815 Barbary Wars 35 64 --
1812-1815 War of 1812 2260 4505 --
1814 Marquesas Islands 4 1 --
1822-1825 West Indies 3 5 --
1832 Sumatra 2 11 --
1835-1836 Texas War Of Independence 704 138 --
1846-1848 Mexican War 13283 32 --
1855 Fiji 1 2 --
1859-1860 Texas Border Cortina War 5 18 --
1861-1865 (2) Civil War, North 363,020 281,104 --
1861-1865 (2) Civil War, South 199110 137102 --
1853 Japan 5 6 --
1867 Formosa 1 0 --
1870 Mexico 1 4 --
1871 Korea 4 10 --
1898 Spanish American War 2893 1637 --
1899-1902 Philippines War 4273 2840 --
1899 Samoa 4 5 --
1900 China Boxer Rebellion 53 253 --
1902-1913 Moro Campaigns 130 300 --
1904 Dominican Republic 1 0 --
1911-1919 Mexico 19 69 --
1912 Nicaragua 5 16 --
1915-1920 Haiti 146 26 --
1916-1922 Dominican Republic 144 50 --
1917-1918 World War I 116708 204002 l
1918-1919 Russia North Expedition 246 307 --
1918-1920 Russia Siberia Expedition 170 52 --
1921-1941 China Yangtze Service 5 80 --
1927-1932 Nicaragua 136 66 --
1941 North Atlantic Naval War 141 44 --
1941 Pearl Harbor 2388 -- --
1941-1945 World War II 408306 670846
1941-1945 Numbers are estimates
-----
Army
256,267
-----
Army AF
53,007
-----
Merch Mar
9,300
-----
Navy
34,607
-----
Mar Corps
17,376 to 19,733
-----

1942, Jun through Aug Aleutian Campaign US 549;
Japan 2352 US 1148 combat;
2100 weather --
1945, Apr through Jun Okinawa US Navy 5,000
USMC/Army 8,000
Japan 107,539
Civilians 142,058 US 38,000 --
1945, Feb 19 through Mar 16 Iwo Jima USMC 6,891
Japan 19,788
Civilians -- US 18,070 --
1942, Jun 3/7 Midway 307 -- --
06 Jun 1944 D-Day Allied WIA
7900 (approx)

Allied KIA
2,400 (approx)

British KIA/WIA
2,700

Canadian KIA/WIA
946

United States
KIA 1465
WIA 3184
MIA 1928
POW 29

-- --
1945 Iwo Jima 6503 -- --
1945-1947 Italy Trieste 6 14 --
1945-1947 China Civil War 12 42 --
1950 Inchon 670 -- --
1950-1953 Korean War 54246 103284
1954 Matsu and Quemoy 3 0 --
1957-1975 Vietnam War 58219 (4) 153356
1958-1984 Lebanon 268 169 --
1962 Cuba 9 0 --
1964 Panama Canal Riots 4 85 --
1965-1966 Dominican Republic 59 174 --
1966-1969 South Korea 89 131 --
1967 Israel Attack/USS Liberty 34 171 --
1968 Tet (Vietnam) 7040 0 --
1980 Iran
Operation Desert One 8 0 --
1980-1991 Terrorism 28 0 --
1983 Grenada 19 100
1983
23 Oct Beirut Lebanon 241 -- --
1983-1991 El Salvador 20 0 --
1984-1989 Honduras 1 28 --
1986 Libya 2 0 --
1987 (3) Persian Gulf 148 467 --
1989-1990 Panama 40 240
1990-1991 Persian Gulf, Op Desert Shield/Storm 363 357
1991-1992 Somalia, Op Restore Hope 8 --
1993, Feb 26 Terrorism, World Trade Center 6 1000+ -
1995 Terrorism
Oklahoma City 168 400+ --
1995, Nov 13 Terrorism
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 7 42 --
1995-2000 Terrorism 77 -- --
1996, Jun 25 Terroism
Khobar Towers, Saudi Arabia 19 500 --
2000 Yemen, USS Cole 17 651 --
2001, Sept 11 Flight 93 44 -- --
2001 Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan 89 33 (U.S.) (Friendly Fire) --
2002 Operation Enduring Freedom, Filipines 12 -- --
2002 Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan Theater 30 28 --
2003
2004 Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan Theater 34 -- --
2003
2004 Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq COMBAT/ATTACKS
United States 2000
Britain 29
Bulgaria 7
Denmark 1
El Salvador 1
Estonia 2
Hungary 1
Italy 19
Latvia 1
Netherlands 2
Poland 13
Slovakia 3
Spain 11
Thailand 2
Ukraine 9
POW 7
NON-COMBAT
United States 347
Britain 43
Other nations 19
Another Casualty Resource
IRAQIS KILLED
Military
6370
American Est: Civilians and Military
7,918 to 9,749
British Est: Civilians and Military
21,700 to 55,000
INJURIES
US: 8,004 hostile
US: --- non-hostile US: 2,516 [f1]

Source

Posted by BillyBudd at October 26, 2005 07:52 PM | TrackBack