"Deadliest" Statistics for the Korean War
This information was found on pages 22 and 23 of the June/July 2003 VFW Magazine.
Deaths by Combat Arms Branch:
| Branch |
Number |
% of Total |
| Infantry |
22,765 |
82% |
| Artillery |
2,332 |
8% |
| Combat Engineers |
850 |
3% |
| Army Medical Service |
830 |
3% |
| Armor |
530 |
2% |
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Note: These branches account for 98% of all 27,731 Army hostile deaths.
Source: Micheal Clodfelter, Warfare & Armed Conflicts. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 2002, p. 735.
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10 Deadliest Battles of the Korean War:
| Battle |
Combat Fatalities* |
Dates |
| Pusan Perimeter |
3,603 |
Aug 4-Sep 16, 1950 |
| Chosin Reservoir |
1,641 |
Nov 27-Dec 9, 1950 |
| Kunu-ri |
1,194 |
Nov 29-Dec 1, 1950 |
| Naktong Breakout |
834 |
Sep 16-27, 1950 |
| Hoengsong |
773 |
Feb 11-13, 1951 |
| Taejon |
638 |
Jul 19-20, 1950 |
| Heartbreak Ridge |
616 |
Sep 13-Oct 15, 1951 |
| Kum River |
490 |
Jul 13-16, 1950 |
| Unsan |
454 |
Nov 1-2, 1950 |
| Soyang River |
406 |
May 17-20, 1951 |
*This includes killed in action, died of wounds, died while POW and MIAs later declared KIA.
Source: Korean War veteran Dick Ecker of Illinois compiled these statistics from a database he developed.
Ecker notes that, while there is always a margin of error in historical research, this is the only known compilation
of its kind. The fatalities include killed in action, died of wounds, died while prisoner of war, and missing
in action later declared killed in action. It should further be noted that in the first battle of Pork Chop
Hill on April 16-18, 1953, there were 112 Americans killed in action. Ecker drew heavily on Army records for
this casualty study.
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Miscellaneous
Total U.S. Wounded (not mortal, hospitalized):
103,284
Prisoners of War:
7,140 (4,418 returned; 2,701 died in captivity; 21 refused repatriation)
Deadliest U.S. Week (KIA):
November 26-December 2, 1950 = 3,567 fatalities
Deadliest U.S. Day (KIA):
November 30, 1950 = 799 fatalities
Peak U.S. Fatality Month:
November 1950 = 3,627
Medal of Honor Recipients:
131
Black Participation & Deaths:
13% of troops & 8% of total deaths = 3,075
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