January 3rd, 2007: US Death Toll Reaches 3,000
US citizens mourning soldiers' deaths. (note caskets in background)
On the last day of 2006, the U.S. death toll reached the number of 3,000 with the death of a soldier from Texas. The largest number of deaths for U.S. forces (at that time) was in central and western Iraq, roughly 1,100. The reason is that there are three cities concentrated there where fierce battles have occurred. About 800 deaths occurred in Baghdad, and the remaining third died in various cities and provinces around the country. The Army suffered the most losses; more that two-thirds of troops killed were members of the Army. The Marines Corps lost almost 900 Marines, the Navy more than 60 sailors, and the Air Force just under 30 personnel. About 2 percent of the killed were women, the highest number of women killed in an American war since World War II. By race,74 percent of fatalities were white, 11 percent were Hispanic or Latino, close to 10 percent were African American, and the rest were either Asian, American Indian, or native Hawaiian. About 16 percent of personnel killed were between ages 18 and 20, and about 60 percent were between 21 and 30; 18 percent between 31 and 40, and 5 percent above 40 years of age. More than 22,000 troops have been injured, some so grievously that they are impaired for life, since the war began. This is a significant event because it shows that, even though the war between the U.S. and Iraq is “over”, the constant stream of death, pain, and sorrow that is the result of war is far from stopped.
