# We hit 1000 dead US soldiers today

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-hit-1000-dead-us-soldiers-today/263583>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [September 8, 2004, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-hit-1000-dead-us-soldiers-today/263583 "2004-09-08T02:14:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Chata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@Chata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chata)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-hit-1000-dead-us-soldiers-today/263583/41 "2004-09-10T01:11:39Z")

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> [@Duckster](#):
>
> If some are willing to play the statistics game, why not go for a full-court press?
> 
> 1. How many combat non-military US deaths have occurred in Iraq?
> 
> 2. How many non-combat US military deaths have occurred in Iraq?
> 
> 3. How many non-combat non-military US deaths have occurred in Iraq?
> 
> 4. How many combat US military casualties have occurred in Iraq?
> 
> 5. How many non-combat US military casualties have occurred in Iraq?
> 
> 6. How many combat US non-military casualties have occurred in Iraq?
> 
> 7. How many non-combat US non-military casualties have occurred in Iraq?
> 
> Why the additional questions? Well, what about all the US contractors in Iraq? News reports place them at anywhere between 20,000 and 50,000 in Iraq. Surely, quite a few of them have died or suffered casualties that are not reflected in the published stats. FWIW, where does the death of Nick Berg fit in?
> 
> I’m not going to even address the Iraqi dead and wounded here.

The link in the OP provides SOME of these answers (they describe how each fatality occurred)

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**Author:** ![Lynwood\_Slim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Lynwood\_Slim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynwood_Slim)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-hit-1000-dead-us-soldiers-today/263583/42 "2004-09-10T06:33:38Z")

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As I posted earlier, my son is a Marine infantry corporal; his second time in Iraq – this time a volunteer (he was due to be discharged, but extended so he could return with his battalion).

He and his cohorts deeply believe in the mission. I see that many posters here don’t, either that the war was misconceived to begin with, or that it is now a lost cause.

From what my son says, the American military there mostly don’t agree.

When I asked why he wanted to go back, he told me this. After the war March-April 2003, his battalion was assigned to Al Hilla, a city of some 500,000 people. He spent his time training the new Iraqi police force, building schools, and providing security for the newly formed local government. His unit discovered the killing fields outside of Hillah. He saw personally the torture chambers. He became deeply committed to the Iraqi people whom he met and worked with in his five months in Hillah. He felt he made a real difference in their lives. He made life long friends.

I have great trepidation about my son being there. He was in the battle in Najaf, and was in bitter firefights often. He believes deeply in his mission, enough to risk his life. I wish I were in his place, but I am too old. I was a Marine 30 odd years ago; I wish I were in now, instead.

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