10. Weird Numbers

In an often-overlooked statistic from World War II, more American soldiers perished in non-combat related accidents during their three-plus years of engagement than the total number of U.S. military fatalities throughout the entire Vietnam conflict, which lasted over a decade.

This stark comparison highlights the nature of wartime conditions beyond the battlefield—ranging from training accidents to transportation mishaps and other unforeseen tragedies. The high accident rate during WWII II reflects the massive mobilization and rapid expansion of the U.S. military, underlining the inherent risks soldiers faced even away from direct combat.