Memorial Day isn’t just a three-day holiday. It’s in remembrance to those soldiers who have died 
protecting this country.
The following is a list of casualties in each U.S. war.
Civil War: Approximately 620,000 Americans died. The Union lost almost 365,000 troops and the Confederacy about 260,000. More than half of these deaths were caused by disease.
World War I: 116,516 Americans died, more than half from disease.
World War II: 405,399 Americans died.
Korean War: 36,574 Americans died.
Vietnam Conflict: 58,220 Americans died. More than 47,000 Americans were killed in action and nearly 11,000 died of other causes.
Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm: 383 U.S. service members died.
Operation Iraqi Freedom: 4,424 U.S. service members died.
Operation New Dawn: 73 U.S. service members died.
Operation Enduring Freedom: 2,349 U.S. service members died.
Freedom’s Sentinel Casualties – 22 U.S. service members died as of May 2016.
Inherent Resolve Totals – 20 U.S. service members died as of May 2016.
This comes from a US Today article titled 10 Things You Might Not Know About Memorial Day, May 27, 2016, writer Allison Sylte. To read the entire article, go to http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/05/27/10-things-you-might-not-know-memorial-day/85036514/.
Make sure to remember those who have given you the freedoms you have today. Happy Memorial Day.
