injuries Soldiers Faced
The sheer number of soldiers killed and injured in World War II is astounding. Most estimates put this number between 22 and 30 million military deaths for all countries, with at least 40 million more civilians dead. More than 460,000 Americans alone died, and an additional 670,000 were wounded during the course of war. These numbers are so high for two main reasons: one, the highly populated location of the war; and two, new technology introduced in the war.
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Soldiers faced a variety of injuries that ranged from deadly to insignificant. The most common was a gunshot wound, often from an enemy sniper. Usually, this would require surgery and could often end one's military career. Flash burns from grenade or artillery explosions were also common and extremely serious. Other more natural afflictions included dehydration, hypothermia, and malaria. The most difficult injury to treat was mental exhaustion, known as PTSD today.
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