WWII Civilian casualties-USA vs USSR

[mickeyd]

I had occasion recently to research how many civilians casualties occurred during WWII in USSR and the (then) 48 USA states (mainland). (Hawaii and Alaska were not states until '59/60).

Information that I located indicates that of the 20,000,000 (!) USSR WWII casualties, about 13,700,000 were civilian deaths.

During the same war only 6 civilian casualties occurred in the USA mainland during that time due to enemy attack. The following account of the tragic events that Elsie Mitchell and her 5 kids who were killed in Bly, Oregon.

On May 5, 1945, Elsie Mitchell (1919-1945) of Port Angeles and five children from the Bly, Oregon, church that her husband pastors become the only civilians killed in an enemy attack on the United States mainland during World War II.

Elsie Winters Mitchell of Port Angeles and five children are killed in Oregon by enemy balloon bomb on May 5, 1945. - HistoryLink.org

Sometimes we forget how fortunate our country is to be located where it is. Of course, there were many other USA civilian casualties during WWII, but evidently not under these unique circumstances.

 

[Sunset]

It's always more pleasant to have wars on other people's property.

 

[joeea]

Sometimes we forget how fortunate our country is to be located where it is.

The Civil War remains the costliest war (in terms of lives) the US has fought.

 

[travelover]

The Civil War remains the costliest war (in terms of lives) the US has fought.

Fortunately the fighting was contained to a number of parks.

 

[mamadogmamacat]

cute

although I am personally a transplant to GA and originally from NY, expect the descendants of many small farmers, businessman, etc in the path of ole William Tecumseh Sherman's troops would quibble with you a bit. Raw wound for many down in these parts no kidding I'm used to it now, but found the rawness a bit strange on first settling here

 

[Oma_here]

While I never thought about war deaths in terms of civilian deaths by country, I have always been aware of the difference between the US baby boomers and the European ones: while many American families suffered horrible losses during WW2, I don't think there are many boomers here who can claim, like I do, that every person who was more than 10 years older than them, had first-hand recollections of the war. Some here will have known a concentration camp survivor, but who had more than a handful as colleagues? Or who grew up playing in German bunkers?

I believe this to be one of the reasons that people look differently at wars whether in the past or current. Even when the history books or the news are exactly the same, it is the personal connection that colors how we think about everything. If I were living in Syria right now, I don't think I would see that much of a difference between then and now. Yet, safely here in CA, I can't help but occasionally thinking about the tens of millions who died in WW2 and feeling that it is not quite the same, ignoring that deaths are mourned one/a few at a time, not on a textbook number scale

 

[GalaxyBoy]

I lived in Richmond for years. Believe me, they are still fighting The War of Northern Aggression to this day!

 

[Bir48die]

This is an odd thread. Maybe this is a good reason to keep diligent with border control. Or, maybe we are such a giving nation that we fight wars on foreign soil because if we didn't then we'd have a crapload of problems on our own soil. We could have been fighting Japanese and Germans here on our homeland. It's a geography issue and a great debt of gratitude to those who joined the services. We are very lucky and blessed. BTW, I am from the state where these deaths were recorded.

 

[travelover]

cute

although I am personally a transplant to GA and originally from NY, expect the descendants of many small farmers, businessman, etc in the path of ole William Tecumseh Sherman's troops would quibble with you a bit. Raw wound for many down in these parts no kidding I'm used to it now, but found the rawness a bit strange on first settling here

This being MLK Day, let's just say that a lot of people suffered as a result of what was going on down there before, during and long after the War of Northern Aggression.

 

[USGrant1962]

I've just finished reading Victor Davis Hanson's The Second World Wars. It is an excellent overview with a lot of emphasis on economy, civilians, politics, etc. If you want to do a deep dive into WWII history I strongly recommend it along with B.H. Liddell Hart's classic History of the Second World War, which covers the actual military campaigns (though rather Brit-centric, he spends an inordinate amount of time on the African campaign).

 

[mamadogmamacat]

This being MLK Day, let's just say that a lot of people suffered as a result of what was going on down there before, during and long after the War of Northern Aggression.

no doubt, but I do have to say I experienced much more in the way of racism (serious stuff too not just bad hurtful words but real assaults and threats, esp as regarding integration in housing) than ever in my many years as a "foreigner" (as I was called by some old timers in my first years down here) in the heart of the "Old South"

 

[mamadogmamacat]

I've just finished reading Victor Davis Hanson's The Second World Wars. It is an excellent overview with a lot of emphasis on economy, civilians, politics, etc. If you want to do a deep dive into WWII history I strongly recommend it along with B.H. Liddell Hart's classic History of the Second World War, which covers the actual military campaigns (though rather Brit-centric, he spends an inordinate amount of time on the African campaign).

Thanks for the reminder I enjoy Victor Davis Hanson's work and had meant to order that book through my library but had forgotten about it. my Dad was in the Ardennes campaign (official name for battle of the Bulge), drove a tank for Patton, so i would also recommend Antony Beevor's book, Ardennes 1944, Hitler's Last Gamble to anyone interested in that specific pivotal campaign.

 

[Pilot2013]

no doubt, but I do have to say I experienced much more in the way of racism (serious stuff too not just bad hurtful words but real assaults and threats, esp as regarding integration in housing) than ever in my many years as a "foreigner" (as I was called by some old timers in my first years down here) in the heart of the "Old South"

I'm not sure if I am reading this correctly. Are you saying there is not racism up North? I beg to differ. My MIL/FIL lived 75 years in Ohio. They saw much more racism/oppression, against all ethnicities, up there than they ever did in the "Old South", and talked about it all of the time.

I'm not so sure it is about people in the South being raw, as it is people in (and from) the North being so arrogant.