bigpigeon.us webpage WWII Roster > Roster Fatalities > Aggregate Roster Data, © 2023 by Robert A. Christiansen, updated by RAC 24 May 2023.
This webpage contains aggregate roster-related data; it does not include individual names. 
The following tables contain aggregate data for WWII-era fatalities in the Pottawattamie area, which currently includes Cass, Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Pottawattamie, and Shelby Counties. I hope to soon add Audubon County.
Part 1 - About the Roster Dead
Roster Fatalities by Death Area
War with Japan (Pacific & China-Burma-India Theaters)
War with Germany (Atlantic, Mediterranean, & European Theaters)
​Deaths in the 48 contiguous states
Deaths elsewhere in Western Hemisphere
Total roster fatalities by geographical area
227
​326
​74
2
​629
  • Notes on above table:
  • The first two entries are from Big Pigeon’s WWII Home webpage.
  • The next two entries are from Big Pigeon’s WWII Roster > Roster Fatalities > Stateside Deaths webpage.
  • Fatalities in Alaska and Hawaii Territories are assigned to the War with Japan.
  • ​Note difference of one in the counts in the above table and in the table to the right.
Roster Fatalities
​by Surname
​A
B
C
D
E, F
G
H
I, J
K
L
M
N, O
P
Q, R
S
T, U, V
W, X, Y, Z
Total by Surname 
22
64
​38
28
30
21
50
28
36
27
57
21
35
28
73
32
40
​630
​WWII Roster Fatalities In Theater
In theater, in the War with Japan and the War with Germany, United States armed forces rear echelon deaths among support troops were relatively uncommon, except for accidents.
  • This was the first major war in which United States military personnel did not suffer a large percentage of deaths from disease.
  • Most Army Air Force deaths were among flight crews. 
  • Most other Army and Marine deaths were among divisional troops. 
  • Most Navy deaths were among ship or air crew members.
An exception is the large number of prisoners of war captured by the Japanese in the 1942 Philippines tragedy who subsequently died, mostly from mistreatment or friendly fire.
About WWII Roster Fatalities in the Contiguous United States (not current)
Of the over 600 WWII Roster dead, 69 (old count) died stateside while in service, nearly half in aircraft accidents.
The number of accidental aviation deaths during WWII, both stateside and in theater, was horrendous.
Deaths not due to disease: (total 49)
  • Aircraft Accidents – 32
  • Motor Vehicle Accidents, inc. pedestrians – 10
  • Weapons Training Accidents - 1
  • Drowning – 3
  • Fall – 1
  • Exposure - 1
  • Asphyxiation – 1
  • Murder - 1
Deaths due to disease: (total 9)
  • Peritonitis & Septicemia – 3
  • Pneumonia – 2
  • Tuberculosis – 1
  • Scarlet Fever – 1
  • Kidney Disease – 2

Cause of death unknown: 6
Part 2 - About the Pottawattamie Area's Other WWII Era Dead
On the right are the dead counts for the various categories in WWII Roster > Other WWII Dead.
Other In-Service Dead
Post-Separation Dead
​Remaining WWII Dead
3
61
​2
  • 61 Pottawattamie area WWII veterans died after separation from service but before 1950. 
  • I can safely say that several of these veterans died from consequences of their service. However, I initially assumed that many of these veterans died from injuries or exotic diseases due to their previous service. This was not the case. Nearly half died from accidents, over half of the others from noninfectious diseases.
The following now out-of-date list was compiled from Jun 2021 data.
Deaths not due to disease: (total 30)
  • ​Motor Vehicle Accidents - 12
  • Other Work-related Accidents - 10
  • Suicide - 4
  • Asphyxiation, not work related - 2
  • Hunting - 1
  • Murder - 1

​Cause of death unknown: 2
Deaths due to disease: (total 20)​​
  • Cancer - 6
  • Peritonitis & Septicemia - 5
  • Cardiovascular issues - 4
  • Organ Failure - 2
  • Alcoholism - 1
  • Tuberculosis - 1
  • Meningitis - 1
Part 3 - 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 7,900, with around 7,700 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 Roster > Roster Outliers > Navy Dept. Omissions for a list of such individuals who 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 between 600 and 700 deaths to the Iowa total, thus bringing the Iowa toll of WWII military dead to about 7,700. 

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