About Iowa Casualties

About Iowa's WWII Casualties and Dead

I have seen multiple figures for the number of Iowans who died in World War II. These figures vary substantially, from 7,046 to 8,398 for military members only and none include sources. In truth we will never have an exact count, but I have a cogent argument that the 7,046 number is too small. My current estimate of Iowa deaths, including civilians (merchant mariners were civilians), would be around 7,700, with around 7,550 for military deaths.

The total number of Iowa casualties is far higher, as it includes casualties who survived, namely:

wounded and injured in action who recovered.
prisoners of war who were released.
missing who were recovered alive.

Casualties do not include non-battle deaths, which for the first time in World War II were less than casualty-related deaths.

In World War II, the War and Navy Departments had different systems for recording casualties and deaths. This is illustrated in the War Department's dead report and the incomplete Navy Department's casualty report for the state of Iowa, both released in 1946.

War Dept. WWII Honor List of Dead & Missing - Iowa
(Army, including Army Air Force)
Category Count
Killed in Action (KIA) 3,282
Died of Wounds (DOW) 481
Died of Injuries (DOI) 19
Died Non-Battle (DNB) 1,427
Finding of Death (FOD) 399
Missing (M) 25
--------
Total Presumed Dead 5,633

Navy Dept. State Summary of War Casualties - Iowa
(Navy, Marine Corps, & Coast Guard)
Category Count
Died in combat (inc. KIA, DOW) 1,340
Died while POW 40
DOI presumably included with Died in combat
DNB not included
FOD not included
Missing 32
(the following are casualties but not Dead or Missing)
Wounded (incomplete) 1,469
Released Prisoners 119
--------
Total 3,000
Total Presumed Dead 1,412

From the above columns, the total presumed dead is 5,633 + 1,412 = 7,045. However, this omits the large number of Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard personnel from Iowa who died in a non-battle situation (see WWII Dead > Roster Outliers > Navy Dept. Omissions for the list of 17 such individuals who currently are in the roster).

Later reports give WWII deaths in a non-battle situation of 25,664 for Navy personnel and 24,511 - 19,733 = 4,778 for Marine personnel. This might add around 550 deaths to the Iowa total, thus bringing the Iowa toll of WWII military dead to about 7,550.

Here are some sources, with their counts of Iowa World War II dead:

https://www.bleedingheartland.com/2019/05/27/memorial-day-iowans-fallen-in-wars/ -, 27 May 2019: 8,398
https://iowaculture.gov/goldie/at-home-expeditions/world-war-2, 2020: 8,398
https://va.iowa.gov/heroes: 8,398
Honorstates.org: 7,046
http://iagenweb.org/wwii/: 7,213