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American War and Military OperationsCasualties: Lists and StatisticsNese F. DeBruyneSenior Research LibrarianApril 26, 2017Congressional Research Service7-5700www.crs.govRL32492
American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and StatisticsSummaryThis report provides U.S. war casualty statistics. It includes data tables containing the number ofcasualties among American military personnel who served in principal wars and combatoperations from 1775 to the present. It also includes data on those wounded in action andinformation such as race and ethnicity, gender, branch of service, and cause of death. The tablesare compiled from various Department of Defense (DOD) sources.Wars covered include the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Civil War,the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam Conflict,and the Persian Gulf War. Military operations covered include the Iranian Hostage RescueMission; Lebanon Peacekeeping; Urgent Fury in Grenada; Just Cause in Panama; Desert Shieldand Desert Storm; Restore Hope in Somalia; Uphold Democracy in Haiti; Operation EnduringFreedom (OEF); Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF); Operation New Dawn (OND); OperationInherent Resolve (OIR); and Operation Freedom’s Sentinel (OFS).Starting with the Korean War and the more recent conflicts, this report includes additionaldetailed information on types of casualties and, when available, demographics. It also cites anumber of resources for further information, including sources of historical statistics on activeduty military deaths, published lists of military personnel killed in combat actions, data ondemographic indicators among U.S. military personnel, related websites, and relevantCongressional Research Service (CRS) reports.Congressional Research Service
American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and StatisticsContentsIntroduction . 1Casualty Statistics. 1Resources. 31Sources of Statistics . 31Sources of Published Lists of Names of War Dead or Other Demographic Indicators . 32World War I . 32World War II . 32Korean War . 32Vietnam War . 33Persian Gulf War (Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield) . 33Global War on Terror . 33Related Sources. 33Wars Prior to World War I . 33Additional Websites . 34CRS Reports . 34TablesTable 1. Principal Wars or Conflicts in Which the United States Participated:U.S. Military Personnel Serving and Casualties . 1Table 2. Worldwide U.S. Active Duty Military Deaths in Selected Military Operations . 4Table 3. Active Duty Military Deaths: Race/Ethnicity Summary . 5Table 4. U.S. Active Duty Military Deaths, 1980-2010, Part I: Total Military Personnel. 6Table 5. U.S. Active Duty Military Deaths, 1980- 2010, Part II: Cause of Death. 7Table 6. Korean War: Casualty Summary . 8Table 7. Vietnam Conflict: Casualty Summary . 9Table 8. Persian Gulf War: Casualty Summary . 10Table 9. Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF): Casualty Summary by Casualty Category . 11Table 10. Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF): Military Deaths . 12Table 11. Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF): Military Wounded in Action . 14Table 12. Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF): Casualty Summary by Casualty Category . 16Table 13. Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF): Military Deaths . 17Table 14. Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF): Wounded in Action. 19Table 15. Operation New Dawn (OND): Casualty Summary by Casualty Category . 21Table 16. Operation New Dawn (OND): Military Deaths . 22Table 17. Operation New Dawn: Military Wounded in Action . 23Table 18. U.S. Coast Guard Service Casualties . 24Table 19. Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR): Casualty Summary by Casualty Category . 25Table 20. Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR): Military Deaths . 26Table 21. Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR): Military Wounded in Action. 27Table 22. Operation Freedom’s Sentinel (OFS): Casualty Summary by Casualty Category . 28Table 23. Operation Freedom’s Sentinel (OFS): Military Deaths . 29Congressional Research Service
American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and StatisticsTable 24. Operation Freedom’s Sentinel (OFS): Military Wounded in Action . 30ContactsAuthor Contact Information . 34Congressional Research Service
American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and StatisticsIntroductionThis report provides war casualty statistics. It includes data tables containing the number offatalities and the number of wounded among American military personnel who served in principalwars and combat actions from 1775 to the present. It also includes information such as race andethnicity, gender, branch of service, and, in some cases, detailed information on types ofcasualties and causes of death.Casualty statistics for wars that ended long ago are updated periodically, sometimes yearly. Theseupdates almost always reflect the identification of remains of persons previously listed as missingin action and the reclassification of those persons as dead. Other reasons, much less frequent,include the discovery of errors in casualty records for individuals or categories such as race andethnicity.Casualty StatisticsU.S. casualty statistics are information on war fighters who have fallen in global or regionalconflicts involving the United States. The data are gathered on deceased, wounded, ill, or injuredactive duty U.S. military personnel and Guard/Reservists. The Defense Casualty Analysis System(DCAS) is maintained by the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC).Casualty statistics for conflicts prior to the Persian Gulf War (Desert Shield and Desert Storm) areupdated periodically by the DCAS of the DMDC. Casualty figures for Operation EnduringFreedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), Operation New Dawn (OND), OperationInherent Resolve (OIR), and Operation Freedom’s Sentinel (OFS) are updated daily. Links to thesources for casualty figures appear below each table in this report.Table 1 lists casualty statistics for battles, attacks, or operations for which the CongressionalResearch Service (CRS) receives numerous requests.Table 1. Principal Wars or Conflicts in Which the United States Participated:U.S. Military Personnel Serving and Casualties(1775-1991)CasualtiesWar or ConflictRevolutionary Warb1775-1783War of 1812c1812-1815WarcMexican1846-1848Congressional Research ServiceBranch DeathsWounds ,1021
American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and StatisticsCasualtiesWar or ConflictWarcdCivil(Union Forces Only)e1861-1865Branch 0460148312131MarinesSpanish-American 978,8392,8512,4613909,520NavyMarinesWorld War 0006575031541,576424,0004,5094,26724223,744Air 47,43410,786Hosp. CareReq’d:153,303No Hosp. CareReq’d: 96,802No HospitalCare: 951,749MarinesWarmKorean1950-1953MarinesVietnam Conflictn1964-1973MarinesCongressional Research ServicefTotalMarinesWorld War I1917-1918Wounds NotMortalaHosp. CareReq’d: 4,178No HospitalCare: 5,898Hosp. CareReq’d: 51,392No Hospital2
American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and StatisticsCasualtiesWar or ConflictBranch DeathsWounds NotMortalaCare: 37,202Persian Gulf Waro1990-1991Air Force1,740,0002,5861,745841Hosp. CareReq’d: 931No HospitalCare: 354Navy669,0005665012Marines213,00068244492Air Force561,0003520159Source: Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS), https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/dcas/pages/report principal wars.xhtml.Notes: Data prior to World War I are based on incomplete records in many cases. Casualty data are confinedto dead and wounded and, therefore, exclude personnel captured or missing in action who were subsequentlyreturned to military control.a. Marine Corps data for World War II, the Spanish-American War, and prior wars represent the number ofindividuals wounded, whereas all other data in this column represent the total number (incidence) ofwounds.b. Number serving not known, but estimates range from 184,000 to 250,000.c. As reported by the Commissioner of Pensions in the annual report for FY1903.d. The Civil War (1861-1865) produced the most American casualties, when both Union statistics andConfederate estimates are taken into account.e. Authoritative statistics for the Confederate forces are not available. Estimates of the number who servedrange from 600,000 to 1,500,000. The final report of the Provost Marshal General, 1863-1866, indicated133,821 Confederate deaths (74,524 battle and 59,297 other) based upon incomplete returns. In addition,an estimated 26,000 to 31,000 Confederate personnel died in Union prisons.f.The Marine Corps number serving is included in the Navy total.g. Number serving covers the period April 21, 1898, to August 13, 1898, whereas dead and wounded data arefor the period May 1, 1898, to August 31, 1898. Active hostilities ceased on August 13, 1898, butratifications of the Treaty of Peace were not exchanged between the United States and Spain until April 11,1899.h. Includes air service. Battle deaths and wounds not mortal include casualties suffered by American forces innorthern Russia to August 25, 1919, and in Siberia to April 1, 1920. Other deaths cover the period fromApril 1, 1917, to December 31, 1918.i.World War II was the first war in which there were more American battle casualties than deaths fromother causes, such as accidents, disease, and infections.j.Data are for the period December 1, 1941, through December 31, 1946, when hostilities were officiallyterminated by presidential proclamation, but a few battle deaths or wounds not mortal were incurred afterthe Japanese acceptance of the Allied peace terms on August 14, 1945. Numbers serving from December 1,1941, through August 31, 1945, were as follows: Total 14,903,213; Army 10,420,000; Navy 3,883,520; andMarine Corps 599,693.k. Includes Army air forces, also known as the Army Air Corps.l.Battle deaths and wounds not mortal include casualties incurred in October 1941 due to hostile action.m. Worldwide military deaths during the Korean War totaled 54,246. In-theater casualty records are updatedannually.n. Number serving covers the period August 5, 1964 (“Vietnam era” begins), through January 27, 1973 (dateof cease-fire). Deaths include the period November 1, 1955 (commencement date for the MilitaryCongressional Research Service3
American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and Statisticso.Assistance Advisory Group); through May 15, 1975 (date last American servicemembers left SoutheastAsia). Casualty records are updated annually, including current deaths that are directly attributed to combatin the Vietnam Conflict. Additional detail shows the number of wounded-in-action servicemembers notrequiring hospital care.For this conflict, Coast Guard numbers are included with Navy. Report does not include oneservicemember missing in action (Captain Michael “Scott” Speicher, whose remains were recovered in Iraqin 2009).Table 2. Worldwide U.S. Active Duty Military Deaths in Selected Military 03Nonhostile11000Total1912403Hostile2318401Desert ShieldNonhostile842136918Desert StormHostile1489862024Nonhostile15110514626Desert tary Operation/IncidentCasualtyTypeIranian Hostage Rescue MissionApril 25, 1980NonhostileaLebanon PeacekeepingAugust 25, 1982-February 26, 1984HostilebUrgent Fury, Grenada1983Just Cause, Panama1989NonhostilePersian Gulf War1990-1991Desert Shield and Desert StormRestore Hope andSomalia,1992-1994UNOSOMc,Uphold Democracy, Haiti1994-1996Source: DCAS, https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/dcas/pages/report operations.xhtml.a. According to the Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms, as amended throughAugust 31, 2005, a nonhostile casualty is a casualty that is not directly attributable to hostile action orterrorist activity, such as casualties due to the elements, self-inflicted wounds, or combat fatigue. Thecurrent version of the Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms, as amended through July 16, 2014, uses theterm nonbattle casualty for nonhostile casualty. See http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/new pubs/jp1 02.pdf.b. The dictionary named above defines a hostile casualty as a person who is the victim of a terrorist activity orwho becomes a casualty in action. In action characterizes the casualty as having been the direct result ofhostile action, sustained in combat or relating thereto, or sustained going to or returning from a combatmission provided the occurrence was directly related to hostile action. Included are persons killed orwounded mistakenly or accidentally by friendly fire directed at a hostile force or what is thought to be ahostile force. However, not to be considered as sustained in action and not to be interpreted as hostileCongressional Research Service4
American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and Statisticsc.casualties are injuries or death due to the elements, self-inflicted wounds, combat fatigue, and, except inunusual cases, wounds or death inflicted by a friendly force while the individual is in an absent-without-leave,deserter, or dropped-from-rolls status or is voluntarily absent from a place of duty.United Nations Operation in Somalia (April 1992-March 1993).Table 3. Active Duty Military Deaths: Race/Ethnicity Summary(as of July 25, 2009)Race/EthnicityNumber of DeathsKorean WarVietnam ConflictPersian Gulf WarFMFMFMAmerican Indian orAlaska Native0104022603Asian0241013901Black or AfricanAmerican03,07507,243363Hispanic or Latino03060001Hispanic or Latino—One or More Races05760350014More Than One Raceor Unknown02,853020403Native Hawaiian orPacific ,572858,21715367FMFMFMAmerican Indian orAlaska Native00.300.400.8Asian00.700.200.3Black or AfricanAmerican08.4012.420.017.2Hispanic or Latino00.80000.3Hispanic or Latino—One or More Races01.600.603.8More Than One Raceor Unknown07.800.400.8Native Hawaiian orPacific ageaSource: Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC), OMB-WC.pdf.Note: Prior to the Korean War, race often went untracked. In the few cases in which race was tracked orrecorded, soldiers were given a choice between some variation of “white” or “black”; categories such as“Hispanic or Latino,” “Asian,” or “Native American” were not used. “F” indicates female, and “M” indicates male.In 2010, Census changed Hispanic as a race to an ethnicity. The definition of Hispanic of Latino origin used in the2010 Census was as follows: “Hispanic or Ltino” refers to a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South orCongressional Research Service5
American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and StatisticsCentral American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race. See Census document. See Overview ofRace and Hispanic Origin: 2010 Census Brief, at 02.pdf.a. Percentages of total female or male deaths, divided by ethnicity. For instance, in the Persian Gulf War, 20%of female deaths were black or African American and 80% of female deaths were white.Table 4. U.S. Active Duty Military Deaths, 1980-2010, Part I: Total Military Personnel(as of November 2011)CalendarYearActiveDutyFull-Time (est.)Guard-ReserveSelectedReserve FTEaTotalMilitary 0,98576,000178,1931,685,1781,485Source: DCAS, https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/dcas/pages/report by year manner.xhtml.Note: Official Department of Defense (DOD) end-strengths as of December 31 for military pay accounts.Excludes full-time Guard and Reserve.a. Full-time equivalent (FTE) is based on official DOD fiscal year end selected reserve strength (10% of thefigure is used to estimate days on active duty).Congressional Research Service6
American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and StatisticsTable 5. U.S. Active Duty Military Deaths, 1980- 2010, Part II: Cause of Death(as of November 0202720101,4854244563923822289017Source: DCAS, https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/dcas/pages/report by year manner.xhtml.Congressional Research Service7
American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and StatisticsTable 6. Korean War: Casualty Summary(as of April 24, 2017)TotalArmyAirForceMarineCorpsNavyKilled in Action23,61319,7152093,320369Died of Wounds2,4601,8871453227Missing in Action—Declared Dead4,8173,337991386103Captured—Declared ,8272,121310242154Total Nonhostile ,509657Total Non-Theater Deaths17,6727,2775,5321,0193,844Total Deaths54,24637,1337,0845,5284,501Killed in Action (No Remains)1,5211,07249252148Died of Wounds (No Remains)2222000Missing in Action—Declared Dead(No Remains)4,5493,27680737294Captured—Declared Dead (No Remains)1,8911,85013253Nonhostile Missing—Presumed Dead(No Remains)84400Nonhostile Other Deaths (No Remains)845376368,0756,229910655281Wounded—Not Mortal103,28477,59636823,7441,576Number Serving 000Number Serving Casualty TypeTotal Hostile DeathsMissing—Presumed DeadOther DeathsTotal In-TheaterTotal—No RemainsSource: DCAS, https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/dcas/pages/report korea sum.xhtml.a. Inclusive dates are June 25, 1950, to July 27, 1953. Casualty dates after the end date representservicemembers who were wounded during the period and subsequently died as a result of those woundsand servicemembers who were involved in an incident during the period and were later declared dead.b. Estimated figures.Congressional Research Service8
American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and StatisticsTable 7. Vietnam Conflict: Casualty Summary(as of April 24, 2017)TotalArmyAir ForceMarineCorpsNavyaKilled in Action40,93427,0471,08011,5011,306Died of Wounds5,2993,610511,486152Missing in Action—Declared ,0951,631123118032Other Deaths10,6637,1438411,746933Total Nonhostile Deaths10,7867,2618411,749935Total In-Theater Deaths58,22038,2242,58614,8442,566Killed in Action (No Remains)57517320610294Missing in Action—Declared Dead (NoRemains)6912013397477Captured—Declared Dead (No Remains)52327310Nonhostile Missing—Presumed Dead(NoRemains)9186032Nonhostile Other Deaths (No 842,000Number Serving Southeast Asia3,403,0002,276,000385,000513,000229,000Number Serving South alty TypeCaptured—Declared DeadTotal Hostile DeathsMissing—Presumed DeadTotal—No RemainsWounded—Not MortalNumber ServingWorldwidebSource: DCAS, https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/dcas/pages/report vietnam sum.xhtml.Notes: Inclusive dates are November 1, 1955, to May 15, 1975. Casualty dates after the end date representservicemembers who were wounded during the period and subsequently died as a result of those wounds andthose servicemembers who were involved in an incident during the period and were later declared dead.a. Includes Coast Guard.b. Estimated figures.Congressional Research Service9
American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and StatisticsTable 8. Persian Gulf War: Casualty Summary(Desert Shield and Desert Storm; as of April 24, 2017)TotalArmyAir ForceMarineCorpsNavyaKilled in Action1439620225Died of Wounds42020Missing in Action—Declared Dead00000Captured—Declared Dead000001479820245Missing—Presumed Dead120282Other Deaths223126133648Total Nonhostile Deaths235126154450Total In-Theater Deaths382224356855Total Non-Theater Deaths1,565608299171487Total Deaths1,947832334239542Killed in Action (No Remains)20002Missing in Action (No Remains)00000Captured—Declared Dead (No Remains)00000Nonhostile Missing—Presumed Dead (NoRemains)120282Total—No Remains140284Wounded—Not 11,66612,6607,370Casualty TypeTotal Hostile DeathsServing WorldwidebServing In-Theater—Active DutyServingIn-Theater—RecalledcSource: DCAS, https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/dcas/pages/report gulf sum.xhtml.Notes: Inclusive dates are August 7, 1990, to January 15, 1991. Any casualty counted after the end daterepresents a servicemember who was wounded during the period and subsequently died as a result of thosewounds or a servicemember who was in a missing status during part of the war period and later declared dead.a. Includes Coast Guard.b. Estimated figures.c. In times of national emergency declared by the President, Section 12304 of Title 10 U.S.C. permits thePresident to authorize the involuntarily activation of members of the Selected Reserve and the IndividualReady Reserve for a period up to 365 consecutive days and Section 12302 of Title 10 U.S.C. permits theService Secretaries to authorize the involuntary activation of members of the Ready Reserve under his orher jurisdiction for a period not to exceed 24 consecutive months.Tables 9 through 11 provide casualty statistics for OEF, which began on October 7, 2001, andwas primarily conducted in Afghanistan. U.S. combat operations in Afghanistan ended onDecember 31, 2014.1 Data for OEF are updated on a daily basis. Daily casualty summaries areavailable at DOD’s website: http://www.defense.gov/news/casualty.pdf.1Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) database, https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/dcas/pages/casualties oef.xhtml.Congressional Research Service10
American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and StatisticsTables 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, and 17 provide ethnicity statistics for OEF, OIF, and OND. A U.S.Office of Management and Budget mandate, Directive No. 15, requires all federal record keepingand data presentation to use race and ethnicity categories. For further explanation, see Review ofthe Racial and Ethnic Standards to the OMB Concerning Changes at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/fedreg directive 15.Table 9. Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF): Casualty Summary by CasualtyCategory(as of April 24, 2017)TotalArmyNavyMarineCorpsAir 1503333458045Total Deaths2,3461,66112845899Total Wounded In Action20,09214,2044224,946520Casualty TypeKilled in ActionDied of WoundsaDied of Terrorist ActivitiesTotal Hostile DeathsTotal Nonhostile DeathsSource: DCAS, https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/dcas/pages/report oef type.xhtml.a. Includes those who died of wounds where wounding occurred in the theater and death occurredelsewhere.Congressional Research Service11
American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and StatisticsTable 10. Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF): Military Deaths(as of April 24, 2017)TotalsArmyNavyMarine CorpsAir 1,66112845899 31-35262186332320 Casualty ctive DutyReserve100677224National erican Indian or Alaska NativeAsian6247681Black or African American19114710286Native Hawaiian or Pacific IslanderWhiteMultiple RacesUnknownTotalCongressional Research 6511284589912
American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and StatisticsTotalsArmyNavyMarine CorpsAir ForceAsian no1711330Guamanian9900Hispanic or Spanish956591803Indian32010Indian Tribes U.S.1811142Japanese10001Korean98100Latin cific Islander (Other)1311110Polynesian43100Puerto Rican2621032Vietnamese11000Not SpecifiedTotal12120002,3461,66112845899Source: DCAS, h
Wars covered include the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam Conflict, and the Persian Gulf War. Military operations covered include the Iranian Hostage Rescue
