Thought I’d share with OJR readers a project I’ve been working on: Last week the Los Angeles Times launched a database of California’s military dead in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This story does a nice job of introducing the database:
Across the nation, more than 4,600 have died while in service to the country. Of the California dead, the median age was 23. Their deaths left 205 widows and three widowers, and 300 children who will grow up without their fathers, two without their mothers. Thirty-eight of the 492 were engaged.
About 67% were in the Army, Army National Guard or Army Reserve; 27% in the Marine Corps or Marine Corps Reserve. The Air Force accounted for 2%, the Navy and Navy Reserve for 4%. Two percent of those killed were women.
At least 59 were immigrants.