A U.S. serviceman’s chance of death in battle, 1775-1991

  • War of Independence: 2 percent (1 in 50)
  • War of 1812: 0.8 percent (1 in 127)
  • Indian Wars: 0.9 percent (1 in 106)
  • Mexican War: 2.2 percent (1 in 45)
  • Civil War: 6.7 percent (1 in 15)
  • Spanish-American War: 0.1 percent (1 in 798)
  • World War I: 1.1 percent (1 in 89)
  • World War II: 1.8 percent (1 in 56)
  • Korean War: 0.6 percent (1 in 171)
  • Vietnam War: 0.5 percent (1 in 185)
  • Persian Gulf War: 0.03 percent (1 in 3,162)

Via Futility Closet, quoting Nicholas Hobbes’ Essential Militaria (2003).