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Memorial Day: Honoring America’s more than 1 million fallen

Steph Whiteside

ARLINGTON, VA - MAY 26: Members of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment place flags at the headstones of U.S. military personnel buried at Arlington National Cemetery, in preparation for Memorial Day, on May 26, 2022 in Arlington, Virginia. Nearly 1000 service members entered the cemetery at pre-dawn hours to begin the process of placing a flag in front of more than 260,000 headstones. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

(NewsNation) — On Memorial Day, Americans will honor those who gave their lives in service of their country. Since the American Revolution, more than 1 million men and women have died while serving.

Of all the wars, the highest number of deaths came from the Civil War, with at least 500,000 fatalities. The precise number of Americans who died in the war isn’t known.


Wartime deaths include those who died in battle, as well as those who died of accidents, injuries or illness while fighting. World War II marks the first war in which battlefield deaths outnumbered all other causes.

Here are the number of service members who have sacrificed their lives in America’s wars.