By mid-April, it was already the deadliest month for U.S. troops in Iraq (news - web sites). By Thursday, the month's death toll had climbed to 134, more than the number of troops killed in the war's opening stages, from the invasion to the toppling of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s statue in Baghdad.
Today, the last day of April, offers a moment to reflect on the Americans who put their lives on the line.
To the war's supporters, they are the face of freedom. To the war's critics, they are an unnecessary price of conflict. What made this month so deadly is the return of full-scale combat in which U.S. troops are being attacked by organized groups of insurgents in cities such as Baghdad and Fallujah.
The statistics offer a partial portrait of April's casualties: 117 men, 2 women, 15 more people whose names and genders have not yet been disclosed by the Pentagon (news - web sites). They come from all branches of the military. Their median age is 23. Active-duty troops outnumber National Guardsmen and reservists by about 5 to 1.
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