Are war deaths being underreported?

[Rex_Goodheart]

The official number is 1724, right?... but there's something very odd about that reporting.

Think back to all the times you were informed that another soldier or two or three were killed in Iraq...

The story always reads something like "A US Marine was killed in Ramadi today when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb" or "four American airmen died today when their helicopter was gunned down by enemy fire."

What's common to those stories? Well... it appears they tell of soldiers killed on the battlefield, only.

What about the wounded who are flown away to our hospital in Germany and die there within a day, a week, or a month? Those soldiers, from what I can tell, are NOT BEING COUNTED.

How many stories have you heard like "two American soldiers died in our German hospital today. They sufferened wounds a week ago in Ramadi."

I suspect that the number of our actual war dead is much greater than 1724. Now I'm wondering how I can confirm that.

[teach1st]

1. A list of wounded who died in Germany...

http://icasualties.org/oif/dow.aspx

All of these dead soldiers who allegedly aren't on the list - wouldn't their families notice and say something?

[havocmom]

2. Would be good to know the REAL # of those killed in hummer wrecks

that had nothing to do with explosives/gunfire or other aspects of combat. If THAT real # came out, humvee sales in the US might dry up. Those things seem to have a flip over problem

edit:typo

[Ravenseye]

3. Here's a Guardian Story on it

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1041822,00.html

I think it's tough to figure things out indirectly at this point. There hasn't been truly an operation like this in the past where our soldiers used body armor that protects from the worst chest wounds. of course not all have that armor, and you can hit a person's leg and if you nick the femoral artery...

So it's hard to say. If they have classfied the numbers pretty much the only way would be to start a website and get everybody who has lost someone to sign that person's name (check for duplicates etc) and when they were killed. Nobody has 'dissaspeared'. If they died in Germany then their family knows they're dead. They just probably think that their child is one of the 1700+ and not some other number.

YOu could easily have double the number dead in IRaq than is officially listed and people would have no idea, because friends and family who have lost loved ones to war rarely have reunions.

[leveymg]

9. That Sept 2003 Guardian article does not confirm that story

It is merely a very early report about battlefield casualties being evacauated from Iran to US medical facilities in Germany and the US.

I'm calling your hand on this.

[Ravenseye]

11. You're Right

I read that totally wrong.

[shoelace414]

4. If this was true.. whoa..

It should be relativily easy for some strapping young reporter to find out if it is true.

[Monkie]

5. a suggestion i felt was credible..

was that non-us citizens joining the army for/with green cards would not be counted as americans dying and might not be in that 1724 nr.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article4584.htm

"US attacked over green card soldiers

Nearly 40,000 of America's frontline soldiers are not US citizens.

By James Gooder"

[Jackpine Radical]

6. I think the official count is relatively accurate for military dead.

I've thought a lot about this, and I don't see how they could get away with failing to publish the names of fatalities. We'd hear about the lapses from their families. Also, we know of at least SOM instances in which the deaths of evacuated troops have been reported.

It is nevertheless likely that we aren't hearing about some civilian deaths. If, as reported, we have 20k private guards, etc. over there, then it would be much easier to keep any losses among them quiet.

[leveymg]

7. The source of this report has not been confirmed.

Approach this one with caution until such time as a copy of the supposed classified DoD document it's based on is released and its authenticity confirmed.

Repeated efforts over several months to get the author to do this have been unsuccessful.

[SmokingJacket]

8. Actually, no.

If you read the DoD casualty confirmation, which you can find at icasualties.org, you'll see that they do indeed list people who died of injuries later.

Here's one:
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sgt. Mark A. Maida, 22, of Madison, Wis., died May 27 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained in Diyarah, Iraq, May 26 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV. Maida was assigned to the Army's 2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Irwin, Calif.


Here's another:
DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.



Cpl. Antonio Mendoza, 21, of Santa Ana, Calif., died June 3 at Brook Army Medical Center, San Antonio, from wounds received as a result of an explosion while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, on Feb. 22. At the time of his injury, Mendoza was assigned to 5th Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.


Media with questions about this Marine can call the Camp Pendleton Public Affairs Office at [phone].

[Rex_Goodheart]

10. I see...

But is it also possible that the DoD lists a few of those soldiers in order to deflect suspicion?

I think the point that families would object to their children not being included in the list is a good one, though.

Isn't it a shame when an American citizen such as myself has such mistrust of our government?

[leveymg]

14. They've earned your distrust. n/t

[SmokingJacket]

18. I mistrust too.

That's why I've been researching this issue.

I can't find any evidence that there are dead soldiers who aren't on any of the casualty lists, but certainly I'll change my tune once I see evidence to the contrary.

[sunnystarr]

15. According to that site only .00459% of wounded soldiers

died of their wounds. The wounded that died appearing on the site total 59 and the wounded total 12855. If true, that's an incredible statistic. Let me know if I missed something.

[ArkDem]

12. This myth has been HAMMERED many times on DU.

[Rex_Goodheart]

13. I do not wish to propagate a myth...

It just sounds suspicious to me.

Take a look at this page of June casualties...

http://icasualties.org/oif/prdDetails.aspx?hndRef=6-2005

Only 2 hospital deaths are reported among 61 American casualties.

I don't know... I guess that's possible... I just don't trust it.

[Totally Committed]

16. What is really being underreported...

is the number of maimings, brain injuries, and brain-deaths. The huge medical break-throughs that have happened since Vietnam are actually keeping soldiers with these catastrophic injuries (that would have killed them just 10 or 15 years ago) "alive". This is falsely lowering the number of war dead in Iraq and Afghanistan.

If this number were added to the war dead, a more accurate account of the lives changed forever would be closer to the reality of the situation.

This administration has so much to answer for. This Party needs to start making them give us those answers.

TC

[kitkat65]

17. I thought there is an organization that is going to check the official

dead and start asking families who have had their loved one killed if they see their loved one's name on that list. It could take a while.

Can't remember where I heard this. DSM hearing?

[EFerrari]

19. I think this story is being propagated so one of our bloggers

will run with it and be discredited.

Not by you, OPoster, but by someone. Because it keeps coming back,like clockwork here.