# First American casualties in Iraq, **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 21, 2003, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-american-casualties-in-iraq/163002 "2003-03-21T03:52:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-american-casualties-in-iraq/163002/1 "2003-03-21T03:52:22Z")
12 Americans and 4 Brits die in a helicopter crash. [http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/03/20/sprj.irq.war.main/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/03/20/sprj.irq.war.main/index.html) Thanks Duhbya. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-american-casualties-in-iraq/163002/2 "2003-03-21T03:55:12Z")
My bad…got the casualties backwards. [http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/03/20/sprj.irq.chopper.crash/](http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/03/20/sprj.irq.chopper.crash/) ---
**Author:** ![djf750](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@djf750](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/djf750)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-american-casualties-in-iraq/163002/3 "2003-03-21T06:22:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Reeder \* > \*\*12 Americans and 4 Brits die in a helicopter crash. > > [http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/03/20/sprj.irq.war.main/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/03/20/sprj.irq.war.main/index.html) > Thanks Duhbya. \*\* You mean Thanks Sadam. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-american-casualties-in-iraq/163002/4 "2003-03-21T06:38:18Z")
No one can claim that, it was an accident. ☹ But I do have to say that I will be glad once Saddam is out of the picture, but the way how Bush got us here and how (I suspect) he is going to deal with the international community once this is over, that makes me think we need also a government change in the US in the next elections. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-american-casualties-in-iraq/163002/5 "2003-03-21T06:55:14Z")
“There were no indications the helicopter crashed due to hostile fire, according to the Pentagon” You meant to say “thanks Mother Nature,” in your OP, didn’t you? This accident could have happened at any time. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-american-casualties-in-iraq/163002/6 "2003-03-21T07:54:33Z")
The Royal Marines spokesman has confirmed that it was 8 Royal Marines and 4 US aircrew. Maybe I’m being a little touchy given the news (okay, almost certainly I’m being touchy, and I’m sure no disrespect was meant), but why is this titled “First American casualties in Iraq”? Doesn’t anyone else count? ---
**Author:** ![peepthis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@peepthis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peepthis)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-american-casualties-in-iraq/163002/7 "2003-03-21T09:09:38Z")
And why the hell is this in in the Pit? This isn’t exactly the best place to honor the memories of our fallen brothers and sisters. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-american-casualties-in-iraq/163002/8 "2003-03-21T13:30:01Z")
The CH-46 is my age. I am 36. I was afraid to fly in them 14 years ago, because they were too old. ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-american-casualties-in-iraq/163002/9 "2003-03-21T13:33:21Z")
☹ ---
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-american-casualties-in-iraq/163002/10 "2003-03-21T13:37:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by peepthis \* > **And why the hell is this in in the Pit?** Because the OP thought that news of the deaths of 16 brave soldiers was an appropriate vehicle on which deliver his or her anti-Bush bullshit rhetoric to us all. If you’re going to post flame-bait, might as well do it in the pit. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-american-casualties-in-iraq/163002/11 "2003-03-21T13:54:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Crusoe \* > The Royal Marines spokesman has confirmed that it was **8 Royal Marines and 4 US aircrew**. > > Maybe I’m being a little touchy given the news (okay, almost certainly I’m being touchy, and I’m sure no disrespect was meant), but why is this titled “First American casualties in Iraq”? Doesn’t anyone else count? - my bolding. No, not touchy. Or, at least, about as “touchy” as me pointing out that I don’t want to be thanked for what UK soldiers are doing, especially if they are referred to as [“English” soldiers](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=171124). Perhaps we should put it down to … _cultural differences_ … ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-american-casualties-in-iraq/163002/12 "2003-03-21T14:07:01Z")
Condolences to UK dopers. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-american-casualties-in-iraq/163002/13 "2003-03-21T17:36:34Z")
Unfortunately, helicopters are dangerous. They’re a reasonable danger, but they are still more dangerous than other aircraft. I don’t know about the British, but since the start of this year more troops have been killed in training using helicopters than were killed yesterday in that CH-46. Not to denegrate any of those people, but it’s that type of knee-jerk anger that annoys me. ---
**Author:** ![WillSantini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ed8c4c/32.png) [@WillSantini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillSantini)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-american-casualties-in-iraq/163002/14 "2003-03-21T17:52:03Z")
I salute my fallen brothers. Semper Fi