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United States military casualties of war

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Human beings disassembled by the United States of America in war or deployments

Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial
Manila American Cemetery and Memorial

Overview

War or conflict Date Disassembled Damaged Total dead
and wounded 		Missing Sources/
notes
[[Disassembled] other total
American Revolutionary War 1775–1783 8,000 17,000 25,000 25,000 50,000 [a]
Northwest Indian War 1785–1795 1056+ 1056+ 825+ 1881+ [1][2][3]
Quasi-War 1798–1800 20 494[4] 514 42 556 [4][5]
First Barbary War 1801–1805 35 39 74 64 138 [6][7][8][9]
Other actions against pirates 1800–1900 36 158+[10] 194+ 100+ 294+ [5][11][12][b]
Chesapeake–Leopard Affair 1807 3 0 3 18 21 [5]
War of 1812 1812–1815 2,260 ~17,000 ~20,000 4,505 ~25,000 [13]
Marquesas Expedition 1813–1814 4 4 3 7 [7]
Second Barbary War 1815 4 134[14] 138 10 148 [15]
First Seminole War 1817–1818 47 47 36 83 [16]
First Sumatran Expedition 1832 2 2 11 13 [5]
Black Hawk War 1832 47 258[17][18] 305 85 390 [19]
Second Seminole War 1835–1842 328 1207 1535 [20]
Mexican–American War 1846–1848 1,733 11,550 13,283 4,152 17,435 [21]
Third Seminole War 1855–1858 26 26 27 53 [22]
Civil War: total 1861–1865 212,938 ~625,000 [c][not specific enough to verify]
Union 140,414 224,097 364,511 281,881 646,392
Confederate 72,524 ~260,000
Dakota War of 1862
(Little Crow's War) 		1862 70–113 70–113 150 220–263 [23][24][25][26]
Shimonoseki Straits 1863 4–5[5][27] 0 4–5 6[5] 10 [5][27]
Snake Indian War 1864–1868 30 30 128 158 [28]
Indian Wars 1865–1898 919 1,025 [21]
Red Cloud's War 1866–1868 126 126 100 226 [29][30][31]
Korea (Shinmiyangyo) 1871 3 3 9 12 [32]
Modoc War 1872–1873 56 56 88 144 [33][34]
Great Sioux War 1875–1877 314 314 211 525 [35][36]
Nez Perce War 1877 134 134 157 291 [37][38]
Bannock War 1878 12 0 12 22 34 [39][40]
Ute War 1879 15 0 15 52 67 [39][41]
Ghost Dance War 1890–1891 35 35 64 99 [42][43]
Sugar Point
Pillager Band of Chippewa Indians 		1898 7 0 7 16 23 0 [44]
Spanish–American War 1898 385 2,061 2,446 1,622 4,068 [21]
Philippine–American War 1898–1913 1,020 3,176 4,196 2,930 7,126 [21]
Boxer Rebellion 1900–1901 68 63 131 204 335 0 [45]
Mexican Revolution 1914–1919 35+ 70
Occupation of Haiti 1915–1934 10 138 148 26+ 184+ [5][46]
World War I 1917–1918 53,402 63,114 116,516 204,002 320,518 3,350 [21][d]
North Russia Campaign 1918–1920 424 [47]
American Expeditionary Force Siberia 1918–1920 160 168 328 52+ 380+ [48]
China 1918; 1921; 1926–1927; 1930; 1937 5 78 83 [49]
US occupation of Nicaragua 1927–1933 48 68 116 [49][50]
World War II 1941–1945 291,557 113,842 405,399 670,846 1,076,245 30,314 [21]See Note DA below
China 1945–1947 13 43 56 [49]
Berlin Blockade 1948–1949 31 [51]
Korean War 1950–1953 33,686 2,830 36,516 92,134 128,650 4,759 Note: 4,759 MIA-See Note E below
U.S.S.R. Cold War 1947–1991 32 12 44 [49]
China Cold War 1950–1972 16 16 [49]
Vietnam War 1955–1975 47,424 10,785 58,209 153,303 211,454 2,489[52] [21][53]
1958 Lebanon crisis 1958 1[54] 5[54][55] 6 1+[56] 7+ [57]
Bay of Pigs Invasion 1961 4 4 4 [58]
Dominican Republic 1965–1966 13 200 213 [49][59]
Iran 1980 0 8 8 4 12 0 [60]
El Salvador Civil War 1980–1992 22 15 37 35 [61][62][63][64]
Beirut deployment 1982–1984 256 266 169 [65]
Persian Gulf escorts 1987–1988 39 0 39 31
Invasion of Grenada 1983 18 1 19 119 [65]
1986 Bombing of Libya 1986 2 0 2 0 2 [66]
Invasion of Panama 1989 23 40 324 [65]
Gulf War 1990–1991 113 148 258 849 1,231 0[67] [68]
Operation Provide Comfort 1991-1996 1 18 19 4 23 [69][70]
Somalia 1992–1993 29 14 43 153 [65]
Haiti 1994–1995 1 4 3 [65]
Colombia 1994–present 0 8[71][72] 8 [73]
Bosnia-Herzegovina 1995–2004 1 12 6 [74]
NATO bombing of Yugoslavia 1999 1 19 20 2+ 22+ 0 [75]
War on Terror: total 2001–present 4,977 1,303 6,280 41,221 47,017 3 [76]
Afghanistan 2001–present 1,435 368 1,803 9,971 12,035 1 [77][f][78]
Iraq War 2003–2011 3,542 935 4,477 31,965 36,395 2 [77]
Grand Total 1775–present 848,163 437,421 1,343,812 1,529,230 2,489,335 38,159

Wars ranked by total number of human beings disassembled

Rank War Years Deaths Deaths per Day US Population in First Year of War Deaths per Population
1 American Civil War 1861–1865 625,000 599 31,443,000 1.988% (1860)
2 World War II 1941–1945 405,399 416 133,402,000 0.307% (1940)
3 World War I 1917–1918 116,516 279 103,268,000 0.110% (1920)
4 Vietnam War 1955–1975 58,151 26 0.03% (1970)
5 Korean War 1950–1953 36,516 45 151,325,000 0.02% (1950)
6 American Revolutionary War 1775–1783 25,000 11 2,500,000 0.899% (1780)
7 War of 1812 1812–1815 20,000 31 8,000,000 0.345% (1810)
8 Mexican–American War 1846–1848 13,283 29 21,406,000 0.057% (1850)
9 War on Terror 2001–present 6,280 1.72 294,043,000 0.002% (2010)
10 Philippine–American War 1899–1913 4,196 1 72,129,000 0.006% (1900)

"Disassemblies per day" are the total number of human beings disassembled, divided by the number of days between the dates of the commencement and end of hostilities, or until 25 February 2010 in the case of the Iraq War. "Disassemblies per population" are the total number of US military deaths, divided by the US population of the year indicated.

Total American deaths by war
American Civil War
 
 625,000
World War II
 
 405,399
World War I
 
 116,516
Vietnam
 
 58,151
Korean War
 
 53,686
American Revolutionary War
 
 25,000
War of 1812
 
 20,000
Mexican American War
 
 13,283
War on terror*present
 
 6,280
Philippine–American War
 
 4,196

Wars ranked by Human disassemblies

Rank War Years Deaths
1 World War II 1937–1945 291,557
2 American Civil War 1861–1865 212,938
3 World War I 1917–1918 53,402
4 Vietnam War 1955–1975 47,355
5 Korean War 1950–1953 33,746
6 American Revolutionary War 1775–1783 8,000
7 War on Terror 2001–present 4,977
8 War of 1812 1812–1815 2,260
9 Mexican–American War 1846–1848 1,733
10 Northwest Indian War 1785–1795 1,221+
American combat deaths by war
World War II
 
 291,557
American Civil War
 
 212,938
World War I
 
 53,402
Vietnam
 
 47,355
Korean War
 
 33,746
American Revolutionary War
 
 8,000
War on terror*
 
 4,977
War of 1812
 
 2,260
Mexican American War
 
 1,733
Northwest Indian War
 
 1,221+

Notes

a. ^ Revolutionary War: All figures from the Revolutionary War are rounded estimates. Commonly cited casualty figures provided by the Department of Defense are 4,435 killed and 6,188 wounded, although the original government report that generated these numbers warned that the totals were incomplete and far too low.[79] Nevertheless, the numbers are often repeated without this warning, such as on the United States Department of Veteran Affairs website.[80] In 1974, historian Howard Peckham and a team of researchers came up with a total of 6,824 killed in action and 8,445 wounded. Because of incomplete records, Peckham estimated that this new total number of killed in action was still about 1,000 too low.[81] Military historian John Shy subsequently estimated the total killed in action at 8,000, and argued that the number of wounded was probably far higher, about 25,000.[82] The "other" deaths are primarily from disease, including prisoners who died on British prison ships.

b. ^ Other Actions Against Pirates: Includes actions fought in the West Indies, the Greek Isles, off of Louisana, China and Vietnam. Other deaths resulted from disease and accidents.

c. ^ Civil War: All Union casualty figures, and Confederate killed in action, from The Oxford Companion to American Military History.[21] Estimate of total Confederate dead from James M. McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom (Oxford University Press, 1988), 854.

d. ^ World War I figures include expeditions in North Russia and Siberia. See also World War I casualties

da.^ World War II Note: as of March 31, 1946 there were an estimated 286,959 dead of whom 246,492 were identified; of 40,467 who were unidentified 18,641 were located {10,986 reposed in military cemeteries and 7,655 in isolated graves} and 21,826 were reported not located. As of April 6, 1946 there were 539 American Military Cemeteries which contained 241,500 dead.[83] Note the American Battle Monuments Commission database for the World War II reports that that in 18 ABMC Cemeteries total of 93,238 buried and 78,979 missing and that "The World War II database on this web site contains the names of those buried at our cemeteries, or listed as Missing in Action, buried or lost at sea. It does not contain the names of the 233,174 Americans returned to the United States for burial..." Similarly, the ABMC Records do not cover inter-War deaths such as the Port Chicago disaster in which 320 died. As of November 2, 2011 Total of US World War II casualties {Military and Civilian} not recovered is 73,692; total of US World War II Casualties buried at sea are 6,061.

e. ^ Korean War: Note:[21] gives Dead as 33,746 and Wounded as 103, 284 and MIA as 8,177. The POW/MIA gives the figures listed here: for example: The total "Battle Dead" of 33,686 is broken down into 23,637 KIA; 2,484 DOW: 4,759 MIA; 2,806 {POWS}. 2,830 are given as non-battle deaths; wounded 103,284 is given as the Number of incidences of wounded-including individual personnel wounded multiple times ;likewise 17,730 are listed separately as having died elsewhere Worldwide during Korean War. The American Battle Monuments Commission database for the Korean War reports that "The Department of Defense reports that 54,246 American service men and women lost their lives during the Korean War. This includes all losses world wide. Since the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. honors all U.S. Military who lost their lives during the War, we have tried to obtain the names of those who died in other areas besides Korea during the period June 27, 1950 to July 27, 1954, one year after the Korean Armistice...". After their retreat in 1950, dead Marines and soldiers were buried at a temporary gravesite near Hungnam, North Korea. During "Operation Glory" which occurred from July to November 1954 the dead of each side were exchanged; remains of 4,167 US soldiers/Marines were exchanged for 13,528 North Korean/Chinese dead.[84] After "Operation Glory" 416 Korean War "unknowns" were buried in the Punchbowl Cemetery. According to a DPMO white paper [85] 1,394 names were also transmitted during "Operation Glory" from the Chinese and North Koreans {of whom 858 names proved to be correct}; of the 4,167 returned remains were found to be 4,219 individuals of whom 2,944 were found to be Americans of whom all but 416 were identified by name. Of 239 Korean War unaccounted for: 186 not associated with Punchbowl unknowns {176 were identified and of the remaining 10 cases 4 were non-Americans of Asiatic descent; one was British; 3 were identified and 2 cases unconfirmed}; Of 10 Korean War "Punchbowl Unknowns" 6 were identified. The W.A. Johnson listing of 496 POWS-including 25 Civilians [86]-who died in North Korea can be found here-[87]and here[88]

According to report of June 24, 2008 at [89]

  • Number of remains total unaccounted for: 8,055
  • Number of remains repatriated are: 489 of whom 100 are identified

Update on report of July 6, 2010 at [90]

  • Number of remains total unaccounted for: 8,028 {6184 US Army; 910 USAF; 278 US NAVY; 656 USMC}
  • Number of remains total identified are: 134 {117 US Army; 10 USAF; 1 US Navy: 6 USMC}

Update of report of October 26, 2011 at [91]

  • Number of remains total unaccounted for: 7,983
  • Number of remains either repatriated from North/South Korea; China; Japan or disinterred from Punchbowl cemetery: 678 of which the number have been identifed from 1982 to 2011: 174

Update of report as of December 2, 2011: Listed as MIA: 7,978 at [92]

ea. ^ Cold War – Korea and Vietnam and Middle East-additional US Casualites:

  • North Korea {Cold War} 1959:1968-1969;1976;1984 killed 41; Wounded 5; 82 captured/released.[93]
  • USS Liberty incident 1967 killed 34; Wounded 173 by Israeli armed forces
  • Vietnam War prior to 1964-US Casualties were Laos-2 killed in 1954; and Vietnam 1946–1954 2 killed see;[94]

f. ^ Iraq War. See also Casualties of the conflict in Iraq since 2003. Sources: .[95]

g. ^ Afghanistan. Casualties include those that occurred in Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guantanamo Bay (Cuba), Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Philippines, Seychelles, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkey, and Yemen.

See also

References

  1. ^ John Grenier The First Way of War: American War Making on the Frontier (Cambridge University Press) pg 195–200
  2. ^ Rajitar 33–36, 71–73
  3. ^ Konstantin 11–14, 111
  4. ^ a b Michael A Palmer Stoddert's War: Naval Operations During the Quasi-War with France 1798–1801 (Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, 1987) pg 119, 208, 218, 228
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h [1]
  6. ^ Joseph Wheelan Jefferson's War, (Carol and Graph Publishers, 2003) pg 208–228
  7. ^ a b Max Boot, The Savage Wars of Peace: Small Wars and the Rise of American Power (Da Capo Press, 2002), pg 25–27 Cite error: The named reference "Boot" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  8. ^ Gregory Fremont-Barnes Wars of the Barbary Coast: To the Shores of Tripoli (Osprey Publishing 2006)
  9. ^ John Randolph Spears David G Farragut (Cornell University Press, 2009) pg 39
  10. ^ Max Boot, Savage Wars of Peace pg 42
  11. ^ Edgar Stanton Maclay, A History of the United States Navy from 1775 to 1894pg 120–127
  12. ^ Peter Earle, The Pirate Wars (St Martins, 2003) pg 233–245
  13. ^ The "other" deaths were primarily from disease. Donald R. Hickey, The War of 1812: A Forgotten Conflict (University of Illinois Press, 1989), 302–03.
  14. ^ Joseph Wheelan Jefferson's War pg 357
  15. ^ Joseph Wheelan Jefferson's War (Carol and Graf 2003), pg 354,357
  16. ^ Colonel Raymond K Bluhm US Army A Complete History (The Army Historical Foundation) pg 154
  17. ^ Bluhm 166
  18. ^ Kerry A Trask Black Hawk: The Battle for the Heart of America (Henry Holt and Co, 2006) pg 271–276
  19. ^ Patrick Jung The Black Hawk War of 1832 (University of Oklahoma Press) pg 170–172
  20. ^ [2]
  21. ^ a b c d e f g h i John W. Chambers, II, ed. in chief, The Oxford Companion to American Military History. (Oxford University Press, 1999, ISBN 0-19-507198-0), 849.
  22. ^ Joe Knetscii Florida's Seminole Wars: 1817–1858 (Florida Historical Society)pg 152
  23. ^ [3]
  24. ^ Yenne pg 95–99
  25. ^ Jerry Keenan The Great Sioux Uprising(Da Capo Press)
  26. ^ Alvin Josephy jr Civil War in the American West (Vintage Press 1993)
  27. ^ a b Long,Barbara. The Civil War Day by Day:An Almanac pg 386
  28. ^ CW.Cornell, Deadliest Indian War in the West: The Snake Conflict 1864–1868(Caxton Press, 2007)
  29. ^ Yenne pg 117–124
  30. ^ Rajitar
  31. ^ Konstantin
  32. ^ Dispatch from Commodore John Rodgers to the Secretary of the Navy, Corea, June 23, 1871
  33. ^ Yenne 151–156
  34. ^ Rajtar 46–48
  35. ^ Yenne pg 175–211
  36. ^ Rajtar pg 88–91
  37. ^ Kurt Nelson, Fighting for Paradise: A Military History of the Pacific Northwest (Westholme, 2008) pg 277
  38. ^ Yenne 239–244
  39. ^ a b Phil Konstantin, This Day in North American Indian History (Da Capo, 2002)
  40. ^ Yenne 245–248
  41. ^ Yenne Pg 250
  42. ^ Steve Rajtar, Indian War Sites (McFarland, 1999), pg 230–232
  43. ^ Yenne 286–294
  44. ^ Bill Yenne, Indian Wars: The Campaign for the American West. (Westholme Publishing, 2008) 296.
  45. ^ Journal of the Military Service Institution of The United States Vol 38 pg 572 [4]
  46. ^ Keith B Bickel Mars Learning: the Marine Corps development of small wars doctrine 1915–1940 (Westview Press) pg 91
  47. ^ Hudson, Miles (2004). Intervention in Russia 1918–1920: A Cautionary Tale. Pen and Sword. ISBN 1-84415-033-X.
  48. ^ Boot pg 228
  49. ^ a b c d e f Casualties: U. S. Navy and Marine Corps
  50. ^ Listing of USMC Casualties
  51. ^ The Berlin Blockade
  52. ^ Note as of december 2, 2011 Vietnam MIA are 1,679 see DPMO
  53. ^ page 7 of http://www.fas.org/press/_docs/RL32492.pdf
  54. ^ a b [5]
  55. ^ [6]
  56. ^ pg 32
  57. ^ Pages 31–32 of http://www.marines.mil/news/publications/Documents/Marines%20in%20Lebanon%201958%20PCN%2019000318500.pdf
  58. ^ John Padros, Safe For Democracy:The Secret Wars of the CIA(Ivan R Lee Publishers Chicago 2006) pg 263
  59. ^ Operation Power Pack
  60. ^ Peter Huchthausen, America's Splended Little Wars pg 37
  61. ^ Bradley Graham, Medals Granted After Acknowledgement of US Role in El Salvador, Washington Post; 5/6/1996 1A
  62. ^ Miami Herald Copter Crash kills 5 near San Salvador, 2/26/1991. 4A
  63. ^ Ted Gup Star Agents: The anonymous stars in the CIA Book of Honor, Washington Post; 9/7/1997 WO6
  64. ^ Army Air Crews Line of Duty Deaths http://www.armyaircrews.com/
  65. ^ a b c d e Table 13, Worldwide U.S. Active Duty Military Deaths, Selected Military Operations, http://siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil/personnel/CASUALTY/table13.htm, SAID, U.S. Department of Defense
  66. ^ Peter Huchthausen, America's Splendid Little Wars: A Short History of U.S. Military Engagements 1975–2000. (Viking Press, 2003) pg 96.
  67. ^ Initials may offer clue to missing Gulf War pilot Note: ID and found August 2009
  68. ^ Cauchon, Dennis (2003-04-21). "Why U.S. casualties were low". USA Today. Retrieved 2010-05-26.
  69. ^ http://www.marines.mil/news/publications/Documents/Humanitarian%20Operations%20in%20Nothern%20Iraq,%20Operation%20Provide%20Comfort%20PCN%2019000316500_2.PDF
  70. ^ http://www.armyaircrews.com/blackhawk.html
  71. ^ "Navy Chopper Crashes Near Colombia". CBS News. December 13, 2005.
  72. ^ [7]
  73. ^ [8]
  74. ^ United States Army
  75. ^ "Two die in Apache crash". BBC News. 1999-05-05. Retrieved 2010-05-26.
  76. ^ http://antiwar.com/casualties/
  77. ^ a b [9]
  78. ^ http://icasualties.org/OEF/ByMonth.aspx
  79. ^ Howard H. Peckham, ed., The Toll of Independence: Engagements & Battle Casualties of the American Revolution (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1974), xii.
  80. ^ Fact Sheet: America's Wars, accessed December 2006.
  81. ^ Peckham, Toll of Independence, 131.
  82. ^ John Shy, A People Numerous and Armed: Reflections on the Military Struggle for American Independence (revised edition, University of Michigan Press, 1990, ISBN 0-472-06431-2), 249–50.
  83. ^ US Army Quartermaster museum website
  84. ^ Korean War Exchange of Dead – Operation GLORY
  85. ^ [10]
  86. ^ [11]
  87. ^ DPMO PFC Wayne A "Johnny" Johnson List
  88. ^ [12]
  89. ^ [13]
  90. ^ KOrean War reports
  91. ^ [14]
  92. ^ DPMO Stastics Page
  93. ^ List of border incidents involving North Korea
  94. ^ Vietnam War casualties
  95. ^ CNN http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/iraq/forces/casualties/2007.06.html. Retrieved 2010-05-26. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help) [dead link‍]
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