Hey guys. I thought i would remind you all that tomorrow is Veterans Day. To some it is just another holiday, for others it is so much more. It is a day to remember those who have fought for our freedom, those who are still fighting for it, and those who gave everything for their country. Most people do not know how many men and women we have lost protecting our rights, how many people pushed forward against rediculous odds to protect their loved ones from harm, and paid with their lives.
So, tomorrow, i ask you to do one simple thing: If you know a veteran, see one on the street, or are neighbor's with one.... walk up to them, shake their hand, and just say....THANK YOU. No one will think you are silly, they will respect you more for doing so, and you will make someones day.
Please keep these numbers in mind, it will change your outlook on Veterans Day being just another holiday. They truly show that "Freedom is not free"
Iraq: to date their were 4,188 KIA, 30,757 wounded and counting...including a very close friend...PFC John (A.J) Cutshall, Charlie Company, 844th Engineering Batallion Heavy....may you rest in peace brother.
Vietnam CASUALTIES...
Hostile deaths: 47,378
Non-hostile deaths: 10,800
Total: 58,202 (Includes men formerly classified as MIA and Mayaguez casualties). Men who have subsequently died of wounds account for the changing total.
8 nurses died -- 1 was KIA.
Married men killed: 17,539
61% of the men killed were 21 or younger.
Highest state death rate: West Virginia - 84.1% (national average 58.9% for every 100,000 males in 1970).
Wounded: 303,704 -- 153,329 hospitalized + 150,375 injured requiring no hospital care.
Severely disabled: 75,000 -- 23,214 - 100% disabled; 5,283 lost limbs; 1,081 sustained multiple amputations.
Amputation or crippling wounds to the lower extremities were 300% higher than in WWII and 70% higher than Korea. Multiple amputations occurred at the rate of 18.4% compared to 5.7% in WWII.
Missing in Action: 2,338
POWs: 766 (114 died in captivity)
The United States Armed Forces suffered 33,665 Americans killed in action in Korea; 3,275 died there from non-hostile causes.
*TOTAL: 36,940 Americans gave their lives in the Korean Theater.
There were 92,134 Americans wounded in action in 103,284 incidents.
A total of 1,789,000 Americans served in the Korean theater during the Korean War (including my grandfather) from June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953.
There are still 8,176 MIAs.
WWII: Their were 495,000 est. KIA, 50,000,000 to 70,000,000 deaths worldwide.
WWI: 137,000 KIA, 234,300 wounded and 4500 pow or mia
Exact numbers will never be known.
Thanks for reading this completely random, but necessary post.
---jay---
