One acquaintance I treasure from VFW meetings was a combat engineer in WW II. His battalion got through most of their assignments in Europe without substantial casualties. This one time a good friend of his, who was to rotate out in a couple days, volunteered for an operation involving several companies. The operation did not seem much different from what they had done before. This time though the Germans were waiting for them and just about everyone was a casualty and his friend was killed. All these years later he could not relate the event without a few tears.
Great article. One correction.
The largest percentages of casualties in modern warfare has always bee civilians. Similar to the infantry, they are frequently transported by foot in the war zone. Their casualty rates are so high because they aren’t a coordinated fighting force and become cannon fodder.
Evidence of their casualty rates is manifest by refugees from war zones. Refugees generally don’t leave their homes and homelands unless forced to leave, manifesting their slaughter had they remained.