Hello, Hallmans, Gary had posted this to another list. He gave me permission to forward it to my list. I don't want to get into any discussion about whether the North or the South carried the burden of fault in the Civil War (or the War Between the States) but I feel it was the saddest war in our history. I visited Gettysburg some years ago, and while walking through the grounds, I suddenly felt an overwhelming sadness! It was as though the ghosts of those buried there were crying out to me. Hard to explain! I have never felt quite as deep a sadness in any other military cemetary before, or since. I would like you to notice in the figures Gary presented below that more soldiers died in the Civil War, North and South, than in WWII. Faith, with tears in my eyes for all those who died in any wars. Some figures to think about for Memorial Day: Approximate number of deaths of U.S. servicemen during wars: Revolutionary War: 4435 (battle deaths only) War of 1812: 2260 (battle deaths only) Mexican War: 1733 (battle deaths only) Civil War Union: 364,511 (far from complete) Civil War Confederate: 133,821 + 26,000-31,000 in Union prisons (far from complete) Spanish American War: 2446 World War I: 116,516 World War II: 405,399 Korean War: 54,246 War in Southeast Asia: 58,167 The last dependent of a Revolutionary War veteran died in 1911. The last dependent of a War of 1812 veteran died in 1946. The last dependent of a Mexican War veteran died in 1962. The last Civil War veteran died in the 1950s. There are still widows and children of Civil War and Indian War veterans receiving VA benefits. In 1997, about 1131 children and widows of Spanish-American War veterans were receiving VA benefits. The youngest World War I veterans are now in their late 90s. In a decade or so they will probably have all joined their comrades. The youngest World War II veterans are in their early 70s. Over 16 million Americans served in World War II, they are now dying at the rate of about a thousand per day. The youngest Korean War veterans are near 65. The youngest veterans of the War in Southeast Asia are in their 40s. There are around 25 million living U.S. veterans. About 80% of them served during times of armed hostilities.