As we continue to hear the shrill rantings from "peace mom/dance on my son's grave" Cindy Sheehan, the media, and the rest of the loons on the left, it behooves us to consider the historical significance of casualties in previous battles.
June 6, 1918 Battle of Belleau Wood - WWI - The first major engagement of US troops in Europe. The 20 day battle resulted in 10,000 American casualties. The Germans lost 300,000 men during the battle.
June 6, 1944 D-Day Invasion - WWII - The Allies' long expected invasion of France started on this day. Total Allied casualities on D-Day were estimated at 10,000 dead, wounded or missing. It is estimated that over 1400 American soldiers lost their lives during that first day. German casualties have been estimated as high as 9,000.
By the end of the Battle of Normandy, approximately 90 days, the Allies had lost over 53,000 men. Between 15,000 and 20,000 French civilians lost their lives during the battle. The Germans reported over 70,000 deaths.
In over 3 years of fighting in Iraq, there have been only 2,475 US deaths and 292 in 5 years of fighting in Afghanistan. To put this in perspective with previous US conflicts:
US Casualties By Conflict
Revolutionary War (1775-83) - 4,435
War of 1812 (1812-15) - 2,260
Mexican War (1846-48) - 13,283
Civil War (1861-65) - 498,000 est
Spanish American War (1898) - 2,446
World War I (1917-18) - 116,516
World War II (1941-45) - 405,399
Korean War (1950-53) - 36,574
Vietnam War (1964-75) - 58,200
Persian Gulf War (1990-91) - 382
Afghanistan War (2001 thru 6/6/06) - 292
Iraq War (2003 thru 6/6/06) - 2,475
By comparison with civilian deaths in the US, in 2003 there were 109,277 deaths reported attributed to accidents or unintentional injuries. Suicide resulted in 31,484 deaths. Homicide accounted for 17,732 deaths.
What does this all mean? Well for one, the US military is doing a pretty darn good job avoiding casualties while being stuck in a "Vietnam-like quagmire".
The real point is we are in a fight we must win. And it is far better to engage your enemy in his backyard than fighting a bunch of suicidal fanatics in our own.
While we mourn every death, soldiers and civilians alike, we will not surrender or retreat. To do so would set us up for eventual destruction. Our enemy will stop at nothing to destroy Western civilization and anyone who will not accept their fanatical views. Any erosion of support for this effort will only be seen as a sign of weakness by them.
The left, who have at times been celebrated as defenders of freedom, now find themselves in an interesting spot. They are attacking the very country, government and military that allows them to express their opinions without fear. If the maniacs that run Iran and Syria were in charge here, they would never enjoy this freedom.
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