2008 Woodie Awards
A grim milestone is reached as 2,000th soldier is killed in Iraq
Daniel Black
Issue date: 10/27/05 Section: Features
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Since we, as Americans, began Operation Iraqi Freedom in March of 2003, over two and a half years of bloody conflict have transpired and, very recently, the toll of U.S. serviceman's lives has reached 2000. Men and women from all over our country, and serving in our military from foreign nations, have sacrificed their lives for this cause. Young and old people of all ethnicities, from the entire spectrum of socio-economic classes, with every sort of political, ideological, and theological beliefs and perspectives, have died overseas for the freedom of Iraq's citizens.
The overwhelming majority, 93.15 percent, of U.S. serviceman that have died in Iraq, or as a result of their wounds sustained in Iraq, died after President Bush declared "Mission Accomplished" on the first day of May in 2003. Well over three quarters were killed after the capture of Saddam in December of the same year. Over half died in action since the "turn-over" of control to the new Iraqi government, and almost 600 were killed in action since the elections on January 3 of this year.
To put it into terms we can more easily perceive, that's approximately 41 2/3 percent of Marist College's total undergraduate student body. So, next time you're in your statistics class or art seminar of 25 other students, imagine 11 of them dead, spread that over our entire school's population and you've got a pretty clear picture of what this conflict has cost our country in terms of it's citizens. These soldiers are mostly our age, many of similar walks of life, from hometowns and cities just like ours.
The 2000 deaths mentioned herein are not inclusive of the number of soldiers, marines, sailors and airman who have died in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in the mountains of Afghanistan. It does not include losses incurred by the British or any other countries involved in the coalition. Furthermore, and worst of all, the coalition's losses cumulatively pale in comparison to the number of innocent Iraqi citizens who have died in the crossfire. The overall losses they've sustained is unknown, but estimates range from at least 5,000 to over 10,000 as compiled by volunteer British and American academics and researchers, according to Simon Jeffery of The Guardian, UK.
The overwhelming majority, 93.15 percent, of U.S. serviceman that have died in Iraq, or as a result of their wounds sustained in Iraq, died after President Bush declared "Mission Accomplished" on the first day of May in 2003. Well over three quarters were killed after the capture of Saddam in December of the same year. Over half died in action since the "turn-over" of control to the new Iraqi government, and almost 600 were killed in action since the elections on January 3 of this year.
To put it into terms we can more easily perceive, that's approximately 41 2/3 percent of Marist College's total undergraduate student body. So, next time you're in your statistics class or art seminar of 25 other students, imagine 11 of them dead, spread that over our entire school's population and you've got a pretty clear picture of what this conflict has cost our country in terms of it's citizens. These soldiers are mostly our age, many of similar walks of life, from hometowns and cities just like ours.
The 2000 deaths mentioned herein are not inclusive of the number of soldiers, marines, sailors and airman who have died in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in the mountains of Afghanistan. It does not include losses incurred by the British or any other countries involved in the coalition. Furthermore, and worst of all, the coalition's losses cumulatively pale in comparison to the number of innocent Iraqi citizens who have died in the crossfire. The overall losses they've sustained is unknown, but estimates range from at least 5,000 to over 10,000 as compiled by volunteer British and American academics and researchers, according to Simon Jeffery of The Guardian, UK.