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In the interest of truth. RAND 2003 "According to America's Role in Nation-Building: From Germany to Iraq, a new study by former Ambassador James Dobbins, who had a lead role in the Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, and Kosovo reconstruction efforts, and a team of RAND Corporation researchers, the total number of post-conflict American combat casualties in Germany—and Japan, Haiti, and the two Balkan cases—was zero."

I was in Austria occupation. Number of combat deaths also zero. Regarding Iraq - Private Lynch was not Rambo either.

... the total number of post-conflict American combat casualties in Germany—and Japan, Haiti, and the two Balkan cases—was zero...what, exactly, is a "post-conflict" "combat" casualty - this seems just a wee bit disingenuous - if the conflict is over then by definition casualties wouldn't be classified as "combat" - I saw just a little of this History Channel presentation, but it showed clearly that up to two years after the official end of the war in Germany there were resistance groups made up primarily of ex-soldiers and "Hitler Youth" setting off bombs and other lethal operations behind the lines in the hopes of driving out the "occupiers" - it's difficult to believe that there weren't many American casualties during this period, just as there are today in Iraq - only thing that's changed I'd bet is that back then we didn't have a bunch of foolish partisans yelling for us to give up and come home before the job was finished.....

... the total number of post-conflict American combat casualties in Germany—and Japan, Haiti, and the two Balkan cases—was zero."

The History Channel documentary in question claims that, "The desperate effort to resist occupation had lasted for more than two years. Over 40 American soldiers were killed."

The documentary was fascinating. It should be required viewing for today's Iraqi war critics. The years following our victory in Germany were nightmarish and chaotic: Riots, starvation, overwhelming unemployment, looting, terror bombings, intimidation and murder of Germans who helped the allies, bitter resentment of the occupation forces, growing pessimism of the American public ... sounds familar.

Thanks for info, but you will notice that my post said nothing about allied casualties in post war Germany. My post dealt with the program's revelations of Allied responses to the efforts of unreconstructed Nazis to resist the occupation.The use of summary courts martial and firing squads was represented in the documentary. Our forces in Iraq have done nothing in comparison.

Two points: The resistance in Iraq is not truly "post war". Personnel and weapons were left unhindered in our rush to Baghdad. There was little resistance from Iraqi Army, The earliest terrorist resistance was from Fedayeen Saddam. Transforming a war into a guerilla conflict.:

The German population was met with immediate and severe reprisal for any act of terrorism and the population had experienced five and a half years of war with tremendous physical and emotional damage. Combine the two and it's a wonder there was any resistance at all. Iraq experienced six weeks of combat so the idea of a war weary population does not enter the picture.