EDITOR: In Friday
’s edition of the Morgan Hill Times there was a major error and
misunderstanding regarding Gwen Johnson interview with me. I will
be amazed if someone who was in that war doesn’t call you to differ
with two paragraphs in the story on May 28.
EDITOR:
In Friday’s edition of the Morgan Hill Times there was a major error and misunderstanding regarding Gwen Johnson interview with me. I will be amazed if someone who was in that war doesn’t call you to differ with two paragraphs in the story on May 28.
The purported fact is that 50 percent of the troops in the Korean war were casualties. This is incorrect.
The correct statement was that in my Marine company, many intense combat situations, almost monthly in April, May, June and September 1951, resulted in upwards of 50 percent casualties (killed and wounded).
Now here is the true casualty ratio for our troops (killed in action, wounded in action to those in combat) for the four-year Korean War, 1 in 9; in the five-year World War II, 1 in 12; in the 10-year Vietnam War, 1 in 17. Compare to the Iraqi Wars … little comparison.
And 1 killed for every 100 Iraqis? I don’t know where that came from. A comparative casualty ratio reflecting the above for our troops might be something like 1 WIA, KIA per 100 in combat.
Burton F. Anderson, author
We Claim the Title, War Marines,
Morgan Hill
