Like the Romans, Mongols, and so many great powers in history, modern European nations used their military power to establish global empires predicated on trade, extracted wealth, and political influence. But these empires always viewed their foreign “subjects” as just that, subject servants to the central power in London, Amsterdam, Paris, and Madrid.Not so the United States. Though still a young child in the grand sum of history, America has done far more for human freedom than any other nation. It has repeatedly sent its youngest citizens to fight for foreign freedom. It has long defended foreign borders against current and future threats. And while America has ultimately benefited from the prosperity born of Pax Americana, this peace has been both hard-won and hard-maintained.The scale of American sacrifices for freedom is truly something to behold.
The nation lost 53,400 killed in action in World War I, 291,500 killed in action in World War II, 33,700 killed in action in the Korean War, and 47,300 defending Vietnam. Nearly 6,000 Americans died during the liberation of Kuwait in 1991, Afghanistan in 2001, and Iraq in 2003. More than 1 million Americans were seriously wounded across these conflicts. This is not to say that all these wars were prudent, but rather that Americans have long given a great deal for the freedom of others.
