US death toll in Iraq is ‘mostly white and poor’
The 4000 US soldiers killed in Iraq in the past five years were predominantly white and more than one in three came from poor southern states, according to a casualty analysis carried out by The Herald.
Almost one in 10 of the dead were officers, with a heavy toll of captains and lieutenants leading their men from the front. Overall, 97% of them died after the official end of hostilities in May 2003.
The fatalities included one Briton from Bedford and a Canadian, both of whom had joined the US Army to see action. There were also 40 native American tribesmen and 44 Pacific islanders.
The 36% of southern boys came from small towns
such as Bauxite, Arkansas. There were also losses from Glasgow, Kentucky, and Midlothian, Virginia.
Texas was hardest hit of the old Confederate states, losing 371 dead and 2840 wounded, but California suffered 429 deaths, the highest number of fatalities from any home state.
By ethnic group, the dead were 75% white, 11% Latino and 9% black. Between 40% and 55% were killed by roadside bombs, although rocket-propelled grenades and gunfire accounted for many of the 137 who fell during the assault on the insurgent-held city of Falluja in November, 2004.
US special forces also took heavy losses. Although the Pentagon does not comment on clandestine operations, two naval commanders, five lieutenant-commanders and 52 petty officers - most believed to be members of the US Navy Seals - have been killed.
Four colonels and 14 lieutenant-colonels from the army and Marine Corps were the most senior officers to die, joined by 36 majors and several hundred platoon and company commanders.
The vast majority of losses were in the 20 to 30 age group, with just 83 of the total aged over 45 and only 33 aged 18.
Despite the prohibition on women in combat, there were 98 female deaths, mainly in support units. The mortality rate for women soldiers is 2% of those given Iraq duty.
A US officer with Iraq experience said yesterday: "You'll find that the backbone of the US Army has long been poor, white and southern. Small-town rural Dixie has always been a prime recruiting area because there's a shortage of jobs and southerners have a proud military tradition. Sadly, that translates into casualties."
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Posted by: Ronald, Glasgow on 12:46am Thu 27 Mar 08
And the backbone of Brit troops ? Poor, White, and Scottish !
And the backbone of Brit troops ? Poor, White, and Scottish !
Posted by: britfree, camelon on 1:39am Thu 27 Mar 08
tis no great pity if they fall
tis no great pity if they fall
Posted by: Donald Anderson, glasgow on 6:16am Thu 27 Mar 08
In the first Gulf Invasion 40% of the Brit troops were Scots.
In the Vietnam invasion 10% of the US troops were black.
What does that tell you about the poor Jocks?
In the first Gulf Invasion 40% of the Brit troops were Scots.
In the Vietnam invasion 10% of the US troops were black.
What does that tell you about the poor Jocks?
Posted by: bobwmac, New Mexico/Stirlingshire on 6:25am Thu 27 Mar 08
Only with the hindsight of many years will we be able to establish whether it would have been better not to indulge in this war, it was a case of "damned if we do, damned if we don't". However, the war did happen, and now the strategic aim should be to get out as soon as possible without the need for saving face.
Only with the hindsight of many years will we be able to establish whether it would have been better not to indulge in this war, it was a case of "damned if we do, damned if we don't". However, the war did happen, and now the strategic aim should be to get out as soon as possible without the need for saving face.
Posted by: chris walker, west kilbride on 9:15am Thu 27 Mar 08
Opinions differ on the war but all evidence shows that most people have been disgusted by it. And that disgust grows by the day. However, an evil presence here in Scotland can also be detected, a strident, mocking voice that dances on the graves of all who have died in Iraq particularly those of 1 million Iraqis, some of whom I knew personally. Just over a week ago the Herald published a letter of mine in which i expressed the hope that one day I might return to Iraq in tribute to my Iraqi friend William. I was inundated with replies, many of them very moving indeed.
If you go to the letter board "Church at odds with progress of human race" you can confirm what I mean anent evil. It has aroud 103 posts. The evil presence is given by a creep called McCall. It's hard to believe that such a person could be living among us, but wasn't it this sort of evil that engendered the war in the first place?
Opinions differ on the war but all evidence shows that most people have been disgusted by it. And that disgust grows by the day. However, an evil presence here in Scotland can also be detected, a strident, mocking voice that dances on the graves of all who have died in Iraq particularly those of 1 million Iraqis, some of whom I knew personally. Just over a week ago the Herald published a letter of mine in which i expressed the hope that one day I might return to Iraq in tribute to my Iraqi friend William. I was inundated with replies, many of them very moving indeed.
If you go to the letter board "Church at odds with progress of human race" you can confirm what I mean anent evil. It has aroud 103 posts. The evil presence is given by a creep called McCall. It's hard to believe that such a person could be living among us, but wasn't it this sort of evil that engendered the war in the first place?
Posted by: evie, u.s. on 2:10pm Thu 27 Mar 08
Curious about where you took your stats from. Are the casualty figures the home states or from the state where the troop was based, e.g. 371 Texans are they Texas natives or were they based in Texas and home state was elsewhere?
The south tends to have more military bases so it could appear more dead from the south - but could be troops from western/northern/eas
tern states stationed and deploying from southern bases.
Also, my own sons, raised in CO, IL, and AK, enlisted in Denver, Chicago, and Fairbanks but list San Diego as their home state now, so I'm not sure such a blanket statement as "po' white" rednecks fit the profile of casualties.
Curious about where you took your stats from. Are the casualty figures the home states or from the state where the troop was based, e.g. 371 Texans are they Texas natives or were they based in Texas and home state was elsewhere?
The south tends to have more military bases so it could appear more dead from the south - but could be troops from western/northern/eas
tern states stationed and deploying from southern bases.
Also, my own sons, raised in CO, IL, and AK, enlisted in Denver, Chicago, and Fairbanks but list San Diego as their home state now, so I'm not sure such a blanket statement as "po' white" rednecks fit the profile of casualties.
Posted by: McSomeone, Scotland on 3:03pm Thu 27 Mar 08
So nothing changed there then! Doesn't matter what army it's always the poor and those without opportunity that end up doing a nation's dirty work. Just notice the schools that the recruiters visit, not the good middle class schools where pupils will go on to further education but the inner city, conprehensive schools.
So nothing changed there then! Doesn't matter what army it's always the poor and those without opportunity that end up doing a nation's dirty work. Just notice the schools that the recruiters visit, not the good middle class schools where pupils will go on to further education but the inner city, conprehensive schools.
Posted by: sam, greenock on 7:42pm Thu 27 Mar 08
[quote][bold]evie[/bold] wrote:
Curious about where you took your stats from. Are the casualty figures the home states or from the state where the troop was based, e.g. 371 Texans are they Texas natives or were they based in Texas and home state was elsewhere? The south tends to have more military bases so it could appear more dead from the south - but could be troops from western/northern/eas tern states stationed and deploying from southern bases. Also, my own sons, raised in CO, IL, and AK, enlisted in Denver, Chicago, and Fairbanks but list San Diego as their home state now, so I'm not sure such a blanket statement as "po' white" rednecks fit the profile of casualties.[/quote] When did San Diego become a state?
evie wrote:
Curious about where you took your stats from. Are the casualty figures the home states or from the state where the troop was based, e.g. 371 Texans are they Texas natives or were they based in Texas and home state was elsewhere? The south tends to have more military bases so it could appear more dead from the south - but could be troops from western/northern/eas tern states stationed and deploying from southern bases. Also, my own sons, raised in CO, IL, and AK, enlisted in Denver, Chicago, and Fairbanks but list San Diego as their home state now, so I'm not sure such a blanket statement as "po' white" rednecks fit the profile of casualties.
When did San Diego become a state?
Posted by: captbbq, Asia on 4:21am Fri 28 Mar 08
I've spent quite some time in Midlothian Virginia, as I have relatives there. It is not a small poor southern town, but an upper middle class suburb of the Greater Richmond Area.
I've spent quite some time in Midlothian Virginia, as I have relatives there. It is not a small poor southern town, but an upper middle class suburb of the Greater Richmond Area.
Posted by: Mike in NYC, New York City on 12:17am Sat 29 Mar 08
As an American who is not a poor, white Southerner, and who has opposed the Iraq war from the beginning, I should point out that a common refrain from aggrieved "minorities" in the USA is that they do more than their share of the fighting and dying in America's wars.
These statistics clearly contradict this assertion. Whites are 65% of the US population, yet do 75% of the wartime dying. Latinos and blacks contribute casualties at percentages below their presence in the population.
It makes sense, though. Most "minorities" join the military to learn a skill or delay entering a difficult job market. They tend not to go into combat units, but serve in support roles. White Southerners in the military often come from military families, grow up accustomed to the outdoors, and already know how to handle firearms before they sign up.
As an American who is not a poor, white Southerner, and who has opposed the Iraq war from the beginning, I should point out that a common refrain from aggrieved "minorities" in the USA is that they do more than their share of the fighting and dying in America's wars.
These statistics clearly contradict this assertion. Whites are 65% of the US population, yet do 75% of the wartime dying. Latinos and blacks contribute casualties at percentages below their presence in the population.
It makes sense, though. Most "minorities" join the military to learn a skill or delay entering a difficult job market. They tend not to go into combat units, but serve in support roles. White Southerners in the military often come from military families, grow up accustomed to the outdoors, and already know how to handle firearms before they sign up.
Posted by: Mike in NYC, New York City on 1:34am Sat 29 Mar 08
As an addendum to my last post, I should also point out that white Southerners tend to have both the right-wing (generically defined) political orientation that promotes a gung-ho attitude toward war, and a good helping of fundamentalist Christian pre-soak that gives them an obeisant attitude vis-à-vis authority.
Both of these go a long way toward making the "ideal" soldier.
As an addendum to my last post, I should also point out that white Southerners tend to have both the right-wing (generically defined) political orientation that promotes a gung-ho attitude toward war, and a good helping of fundamentalist Christian pre-soak that gives them an obeisant attitude vis-à-vis authority.
Both of these go a long way toward making the "ideal" soldier.
Posted by: Ares, Detroit on 4:41pm Sat 29 Mar 08
More Whites sacrificed in the die-for-Jews foreign policy of the Bush regime. Whites in America should never serve in the military - they should instead concentrate on getting married, having more children, and taking steps to keep [italic]our[/italic] borders safe.
It's time to tell the Jews to fight their own wars.
More Whites sacrificed in the die-for-Jews foreign policy of the Bush regime. Whites in America should never serve in the military - they should instead concentrate on getting married, having more children, and taking steps to keep
our borders safe.
It's time to tell the Jews to fight their own wars.
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