The Numbers Don’t Lie - Part One

The United States of America has been involved in every major war dating back to the Revolutionary War. Why is that?

Why do we feel we have to step inside every country with a problem and either fight their fight for them, or alongside them. When there is a World War such as WWI and WWII, it can be slightly different because we then group together with what we call “Allies”. After all, no one nation can rule the world, although Hitler tried, but he also failed.

I have heard many, many times, that we are the most violent nation in the world. Don’t get me wrong, I love my country, and if I had to, even at my age, I would lay down my life for her, but there has to be a time when you have to stand up and say enough killing is enough.

America needs to concentrate on the 50 stars represented on our flag. It’s all well and good to help countries in time of famine, disease, etc. but it’s high-time, those we taught to defend themselves, start defending themselves without relying on us to always be their backup. Okay, on this subject, I’m done. For now.

We have laws written to protect the innocent and the victims, but there are no laws written to stop the violence, because no matter how hard the courts try, violence goes hand in hand with war ... just on another level.

At this point, I want to give my apologizes to those Native Americans who may read this. I tried the very best I could to come up with numbers on the amount of Native American Indians who died during the wars that were listed. I am just guessing, but going as far back as when boats started landing between Maine and Florida, probably 10′s of hundreds of thousands have died either by war, sickness, or mass-murders, a few of which comes to mind: Trail of Tears, The Sand Creek Massacre, and Wounded Knee. Many atrocities against the American Indian has left a black mark on our history, culture, and way of life, through a wide range of circumstances.

Fortunately, there are over 500 Native American tribes in the United States, each with a distinct culture, way of life and history. Yet, even today, Native Americans still face large challenges to cope with the disadvantages that history has left them and the many ongoing cases of discrimination.

Less than 300,000 Estimated number of Native Americans were living in the United States around 1900.

5.2 million as of the 2010 census, identified as American Indian or Alaska Native.

It’s getting better.

What follows is a timeline of all the wars and what has been called “Actions”. You will probably run across a few of these wars you never learned about in your history classes.

The numbers may astound you.

Part two will come Saturday.

Revolutionary War: 1775-1783

American casualties: 8,000 Revolutionary Soldiers died from wounds inflicted during battle. 17,000 Revolutionary Soldiers died from disease during the war.

1 in 20 able bodied white free males living in America died during the war.

Injured: 25,000 Revolutionary Soldiers were estimated to have been wounded or maimed.

Northwest Indian War: 1785-1796

American causalities: 1,056

Injuries: 825

Quasi War: 1796-1800

American causalities: 514

Injuries: 42

First Barbary War: 1801-1805

American causalities: 74

Injuries: 64

Other actions against Pirates: 1800-1900

American causalities: 194

Injuries: 100

Chesapeake–Leopard Affair

American causalities: 3

Injured: 18

War of 1812: 1812-1815

American causalities: 15,000

Injured: 4,505

Nuka Hiva Campaign: 1813-1814

American causalities: 5

Injured: 11

Creek War: 1813-1814

American causalities: 575

Injured: No empirical data

Second Barbary War: 1815

American causalities: 138

Injured: 10

First Seminole War: 1817-1818

American causalities: 47

Injured: 36

First Sumatran Expedition: 1832

American causalities: 2

Injured: 11

Black Hawk War: 1832

American causalities: 305

Injured: 85

Second Seminole War: 1835-1842

American causalities: 1,535

Injured: No empirical data

Mexican-American War: 1846-1848

American causalities: 13,283

Injured: 4,152

Cayuse War: 1847-1856

American causalities: 41

Injured: 74

Rouge River Wars: 1851-1856

American causalities: 196

Injured: 193

Yakima War: 1855-1856

American causalities: 34

Injured: 192

Third Seminole War: 1855-1858

American causalities: 26

Injured: 27

Second Opium War: 1856-1860

American causalities: 12

Injured: 39

Coeur d’Alene War: 1858

American causalities: 36

Injured: 60

The Civil War: 1861-1865

Northern causalities: 364,511

Confederate causalities: 299,524

Northern Injured: 288,891

Confederate Injured: 712,365

Dakota War: 1862

American causalities: 70-113

Injured: 150

Shimonoseki Straits: 1863

American causalities: 4

Injured: 10

Snake Indian War: 1864-1868

American causalities: 30

Injured: 128

Indian Wars: 1865-1898

American causalities: 919

Injured: 1,025

Red Cloud’s War: 1866-1868

American causalities: 126

Injured: 100

Korea (Shinmiyangyo): 1871

American causalities: 3

Injured: 9

Modoc War: 1872-1873

American causalities: 56

Injured: 88

Great Sioux War: 1875-1877

American causalities: 314

Injured: 211

Nez Perce War: 1877

American causalities: 134

Injured: 157

Bannock War: 1878

American causalities: 12

Injured: 22

Ute War: 1879

American causalities: 15

Injured: 52

Sheepeater Indian War: 1879

American causalities: 1

Injured: 10

Samoan Crisis: 1887-1889

American causalities: 62

Injured: No empirical data

Ghost Dance War: 1890-1891

American causalities: 35

Injured: 64

Spanish-American War: 1898

American causalities: 2,446

Injured: 1,622

Philippine-American War: 1898-1913

American causalities: 4,196

Injured: 2,930

Boxer Rebellion: 1900-1901

American causalities: 131

Injured: 204

Santo Domingo Affair: 1904

American causalities: 1

Injured: 2

Occupation of Nicaragua:

(1910-1912-1925-1927 and 1933)

American causalities: 159

Injured: 290

Mexican Revolution: 1914-1919

American causalities: 181

Injured: 319

Occupation of Haiti: 1915-1934

American causalities: 148

Injured: 36

World War I: 1917-1918

American causalities: 116,516

Injured: 204,002

North Russia Campaign: 1918-1920

American causalities: 424

Injured: No empirical data

American Expeditionary Force (Siberia): 1918-1920

American causalities: 328

Injured: 52

China

(1918-1921-1926-1927-1930 and 1937)

American causalities: 5

Injured: 78

Pearl Harbor 12/7/1941

American causalities: 2,403

Injured: 1,143

________

Soak it in people, 852,079 lives lost. Ask yourself some questions that need real qualified answers. Am I qualified? Hell no. Somebody out there is though.

I know some people will say we get involved because of freedom and that is all well and good, but freedom should never come at such a high cost of countless numbers of deaths, regardless the reasoning. This country protestged heavily heavily against the Vietnam War and they won. We pulled out and the war was senseless to begin with. Military personel will tell you we didn't lose that war, but we did. Go to Washington, DC; and see the Vietnam Memorial. Over 58,000 names are listed and not a one should have ever been.

I just hope this makes you think about the future of starting a new life in the world for yourself, for your children, for your grandchildren.

One day, there may not be a world to be proud of any longer, yet alone an America.