Laurel outlook., 1946-06-26
Montana S Amy Dead
Missing Total Is 1853
Yellowstone County Lost SO, Consolidated Army
Report From War Department Reveals
State Among Those With High Death Rates

war Ia compilation of the names
of nearly 100000 men and women
who gave their lives in the nations
service-was released today by the
war department.
The list was made up of so book
lets, one for each state, one for the
District of Columbia, and one for
the territories and possessions of
the United States. Each booklet
contained a foreword explanatory
of the methods of listing, a break
down by counties and types of cas-
ualty, and an alphabetical listing by
counties of the name, serial number
and grade of each individual and the
manner in which he met his death.
The Philippine Commonwealth was
not included in the study.
An overall death and missing rate
of 2.98 per cent from all causes
was indicated by the listing. OF
more than 100000 men and wo-
men modified into the army be-
tween the presidential declaration
of unlimited national emergency on
May 81, 1871, and the concluding
date of the study, Jan. 81, 1916, a
total of 307,554 had been killed in
action, died of other causes or be-
came missing, later to be determin-
ed dead. In addition, 1924 persons
were still carried as missing on Jan.
81, 1916, bringing the total number
of names in the list to 308,978.
Of the total, ST. per cent, mum
bering 176,432, were listed as killed
in action. Other casualty break
downs showed that 25,493 1925 per
cent? died of wounds suffered in
combat; 929 (0.3 per cent? died
Of combat injuries; S5,219 (27.6 per
cent? died other than in battle, and
19,481 1913 per cent? were admins
tratively determined to have died.
The missing figure of 1924 repre-
scented 0.45 per cent of the total.
Most of the persons who were
determined to have died were car
ried for periods of at least one
year in a missing status, and were
declared dead under public law 400,
18th congress, after thorough in
vestigation of each case.
In the foreword to the booklets,
it was pointed out that the war de-
partment is extremely reluctant to
hold out hope to next of kin that
any missing persons will be found
alive. 1t is expected that after
reasonable lapse of time and after
due investigation, most of these
missing cases will be closed with
findings Of death.
The "death rate" in various states
(Which also included missing) fol-
lowed closely the proportions of
their contributions to army strength,
although some dislocations were
especially in the case of New
Mexico, which early in the war suf-
fered heavy casualties in a National
guard unit in the Philippines. New
Mexico with four-tenths of one per
cent of the nations population, con-
.ributed .43 of one per cent of the
strength, and suffered Sc of
me per cent of the army's total
The states death rate in
he army was ATT per cent, as
compared to the national average
# 2.98 per cent.
The highest death rate was sos
,er cent for the District of Column
ia, but this figure included numer-
JUS regular army personnel who
rave their home address as The Ad-
utant General, Washington, al
they did not actually live
n the nations capitol. Other high
cath rates were noted in Montana,
With 4.53 per cent; North Dakota,
Ia per cent, and Arizona, 4.01
cent. The lowest death rate I
,as in the case of the territories,
'hich lost only 1.18 per cent of their
trength. Among the states, Mary {
and, with 2.20 per cent, had the
1west. rate. Other states with low
cath rates were Mississippi, 2.32 {
cent; Louisiana, 2.36 per cent; ]
alabama, 2.54 per cent, and Florida, !
.63 per cent. |
New York state, with the largest ]
opulation and the largest contri-
ution to the army's strength, lost /
1,215 persons, the greatest num- |
err of any state. Other high {
cath totals were found in the more 7
states: Pennsylvania, &c. {
Illinois, 1861; California, |
1922; Ohio, 1922, and Texas, l
1894. The least populous states l
enerally had the smallest number
f deaths: Nevada, $40; Delaware, I
10; Wyoming, 652, and Vermont,
"a. l
The operation of the selective SER ]
ice system, which drew approx I
Iately from ali walks Of life and
sections of the country, was mol