Memorial Day: War by the numbers
But how many Americans has the country lost to war? These statistics from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, tell the story of sacrifice behind eight war memorials. (Note: These are battle deaths; many more died of other causes during the various wars.)
Of 217,000 service members in the Revolutionary War (1775-83) 4,435 died in battle, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The above memorial, in Washington, D.C., depicts famous American naval officer John Paul Jones (1747-92).All images: StudyHall.Rocks.
The War of 1812 (1812-15) resulted in 2,260 battle deaths. This memorial to Oliver Hazard Perry (1785-1819) is at a visitor's center in Put-In-Bay, Ohio, near the spot where Perry prevailed in the Battle of Lake Erie, a major sea victory in the war.
During the Civil War, more than 2.2 million Americans fought for the Union, which listed 140,414 battle deaths. Another million fought for the Confederacy, which lost 74,524 in battle. The African-American Civil War Memorial, above, is in Washington, D.C.
Before becoming president, Teddy Roosevelt (1858-1919) was known for his part in the Spanish-American War (1898-1902), during which 385 servicemen died in battle. This statue is in front of the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site in Buffalo, New York.
This Washington, D.C., memorial honors the 2nd Division's contributions during World War I. More than 4.7 million Americans were in military services during the U.S. participation in the war (1917-18), and there were 53,402 battle deaths.
The National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Virginia, offers this depiction of the Battle of Tarawa (1943), during the U.S. participation in World War II (1941-45). More than 16 million Americans were in uniform; 291,557 died in battle.
The Korean Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., honors Americans who fought during the war (1950-53). More than 1.7 million Americans served in theater, and there were 33,739 battle deaths.
This Washington, D.C., memorial depicts a nurse waiting for a helicopter during the Vietnam War (1964-75). Approximately 3.4 million Americans were deployed to Southeast Asia, and there were 47,434 battle deaths.
