A Reuters story reported that four United States troops died Sunday in Baghdad.
The announcement brought the American military death toll in Iraq to an even 4,000.
To localize this number, imagine every seat filled in the Redding Convention Center. Full house. Now empty the auditorium and fill every seat again.
That’s 4,000 people.
This sobering news comes barely four days after our country recognized its five-year anniversary in this war.
You hear people say things like “our war” to describe the U.S. conflict in Iraq. But the truth is that about 1 percent of the U.S. population bears the lion’s share of tangible sacrifice for this war that has cost trillions of dollars.
For the remaining 99 percent of Americans, it’s difficult to imagine the ultimate sacrifice suffered by that dedicated 1 percent and their families.
Photo credit: U.S. Department of Defense
