American military fatalities and injuries vary significantly by conflict, with the American Civil War having the highest total deaths (over 620,000) and World War II having the most total casualties (over 1.1 million deaths and wounded). Other conflicts with significant American losses include World War I (over 116,000 dead), the Vietnam War (over 58,000 dead), and the Korean War (over 36,000 dead). Casualties from later conflicts in the 20th and 21st centuries have been lower, though still significant, with the Persian Gulf War and the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq resulting in thousands of deaths. IA
American Civil War (1861–1865)
- Deaths: ~620,000 to over 600,000
- Wounded: Over 281,000 (for the Confederacy and Union combined)
World War II (1939–1945)
- Deaths: 405,399 to over 407,000
- Wounded: Over 671,000
World War I (1917–1918)
- Deaths: 116,516 to over 116,000
- Wounded: Over 204,000
Vietnam War (1965–1973)
- Deaths: 58,209 to over 58,220
Korean War (1950–1953)
- Deaths: 36,574
Revolutionary War (1775–1783)
- Deaths: Total deaths are difficult to pinpoint but over 25,000
- Wounded: 6,188
Mexican-American War (1846–1848)
- Deaths: 13,283
Spanish-American War (1898)
- Deaths: 2,446
Casualties by Conflict
- Persian Gulf War (1990-1991): 382 deaths
- Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan, 2001-2014): 2,349 deaths
- Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq, 2003-2011): 4,418 deaths
- Operation New Dawn (Iraq, 2010-2011): 74 deaths
- Operation Inherent Resolve (Ongoing, 2014-Present): 96 deaths
Total U.S. Service Member Casualties (Post-9/11)
- Fatalities: 7,085 deaths between October 2001 and February 2024.
- Wounded: 53,533 wounded service members.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reports 1.19 million U.S. military fatalities between 1775 and 1991, with 651,031 battle deaths and 539,054 non-combat deaths. For the American Civil War alone, there were approximately 698,000 American deaths, and World War II saw over 405,000 U.S. fatalities, the highest for any U.S. war.
The Spanish-American War is of particular interest as this is the beginning of American Colonization. And, exhibits the inhumane treatment by U.S. Armed Forces over the Philippines.
Stated above, U.S. deaths, casualties are 2,446. The compilation of these numbers obviously are intentionally misleading or are not including the war with the Philippines.
During the Philippine-American War (1899-1902), the period when the U.S. took control of the Philippines, estimates indicate that more than 20,000 Filipino combatants and as many as 200,000 Filipino civilians died from violence, famine, and disease. Some historians and sources suggest that civilian deaths may have been even higher, with estimates reaching up to one million.
Philippine-American War (1899–1902)
- Total U.S. deaths: Over 4,200 Americans, with some sources giving a specific figure of 4,165 killed.
- Causes of death: A significant portion of these deaths, estimated around 75%, were caused by disease rather than direct combat.
Causes of Death
Disease: Famine and poor living conditions, particularly in concentration camps, led to a significant number of deaths from diseases such as cholera.
Violence: The conflict included atrocities like torture, massacres, and rape by American forces and retaliatory actions by Filipino fighters.
Famine: The U.S. military implemented scorched-earth tactics and used concentration camps, which devastated food supplies and led to widespread hunger.
Theodore Roosevelt, who had fought in Cuba in the Spanish-American War, assumed the U.S. presidency on September 14, 1901. He agreed with his predecessor that the Filipinos were not capable of self-governance. He also believed in the importance of the Philippine Islands as refueling stations for the navy. Yet he sought an end to a war that was characterized by brutalities on both sides. He proclaimed a general amnesty and a ceasefire on July 4, 1902.
William Howard Taft served as the first governor general of the Philippines, and with his wife, Helen Herron Taft, instituted reforms designed to instill democracy. The Philippines remained under U.S. protection and oversight until 1946.
The Philippine–American War, known alternatively as the Philippine Insurrection, Filipino–American War,[b] or Tagalog Insurgency,[12][13][14] emerged following the conclusion of the Spanish–American War in December 1898 when the United States annexed the Philippine Islands under the Treaty of Paris. Philippine nationalists constituted the First Philippine Republic in January 1899, seven months after signing the Philippine Declaration of Independence. The United States did not recognize either event as legitimate, and tensions escalated until fighting commenced on February 4, 1899, in the Battle of Manila. WIKI
Gregg Jones/Honor in the Dust (2012) is a good overall history of the Philippine occupation, with lots of colorful narrative, well-grounded in modern concerns about torture and the like.
IN OUR IMAGE – AMERICA’S EMPIRE IN THE PHILIPPINES Stanley Karnow
In Our Image: America’s Empire in the Philippines is a 1989 book by American journalist Stanley Karnow, published by Random House.[1] The book details the Philippine–American War (1899–1902) and the subsequent American occupation of the islands. Karnow described the book as “the story of America’s only major colonial experience. How did we perform? What did we do there? What have we left there?”[2] Karnow was a journalist in southeast Asia from 1959 to 1974. He made six trips to the Philippines for research while writing the book, and also drew heavily on archives.[2] WIKI
The book was awarded the 1990 Pulitzer Prize for History
I have read both books and I must say they opened my eyes to the lily-white image usually force fed children in our school system. All approved by different government officials at different levels.
I lived in the Philippines for a couple of years, also.
War, what’s it good for?