Quote:
Originally Posted by Pursuivant
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A trick question: Which US service lost more men in WW2, USAAF or USMC? (Mostly) guaranteed to win bar bets with Marines.
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Asking your question, I've found these statistics:
From the USMC website:
KIA: 19,733 (22.7%)
WIA: 67,207 (77.3%)
Total casualties: 86,940 (100%)
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From a .pdf document [USAAF Casualties In European, North African, and Mediterranean Theaters of Operation, 1942-1946: Final Report 1953]:
KIA: 33,802 (71.1%)
WIA: 13,727 (28.9%)
Total casualties: 47,529 (100%)
For all Theaters:
KIA: 44,785 (70.9%)
WIA: 18,364 (29.1%)
Total casualties: 63,149 (100%)
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Well... these numbers are showing the USMC had more total casualties than the USAAF. But they also seem the air warfare was a more deadly job than the fighting in the jungle.