Iraq casualties.

The 300th Californian soldier in Iraq died on Saturday. As of today there were 2949 reported US soldiers killed in Iraq and 357 in Afghanistan. That's more than 1 1/2 deaths for every day Bush has been in office. More than 20,000 have been wounded in combat, and at least 50,000 Iraqi's have been killed. Do you know anyone who was killed or wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan, or someone who lost a family member there?

I know only one person who served in Iraq and I met her on FHDC.

My neighbor is serving in Iraq, but he's home for 2 weeks, caring for his father who just had his gall bladder removed.

While soldiers dying sucks, it doesn't really compare to many other conflicts. I realize it is people dying now, as oppsed to people who died a time ago, but I remember hearing about some rumblings a while back from WWII survivors who seemed to have the attitude of "what's the big deal, it's not even 3000, much less 62 million dead in 6 years."

About 1/100.000 of the U.S. Population has died in Iraq so the odds of actually knowing somebody are pretty slim.

Guess I break the rule. Squadmate of my best friend was wounded by an IED over there.  Lost the toes off his foot, and has shrapnel embedded in his thigh.

I said died. About 10 times as many were wounded so the odds go down to 1/10,000. Still not likely but as people know "lots" of people I'm not surprised somebody here knows somebody.

Do you actually know the injured person? Or do you just know your best friend that knows him. If we allow that extra degree of separation then I bet most of us know somebody that knows somebody that was injured. Most of us are not aware of it though.

Yes, well, the question said wounded or killed.

Yes, I actually know him.  I didn't know him before my friend joined the Army Reserve, but I've known him for about 4 years now.

My buddy Will made it back in one peace. Summer of `05, on my birthday no less, I get a call from a mutual freind telling me he is back in the states and 10 miles down the road from me. I ran outside and screamed my head off. That was the most wonderful birthday present I could have ever asked for.

Will and I have known eachother for 11 years now. He was always a freind of a freind. Through different freinds, no less. We got allong great and kept in touch over the years. The best part was when he came back I got to know him even better then I did before and we are closer then ever.

I still get tears of joy every time I think about my best birthday present ever. It was more then I could ever ask for, my freind's safe return home after such a journey, and after that, anything else I could have asked for from my wife or family would ave felt greedy.

I know at least two people who have been killed in Iraq.

I work with someone who served, but wasn't injured.

-- Pauley