Minnesota by the numbers: Iraq war edition

In terms of the number of its native sons and daughters who have been killed in Iraq, Minnesota is faring better than most of the country. As of the November 26, according to the Nation magazine, Minnesota recorded one Iraq war death for each 196,000 residents. That trailed only Hawaii (one death per 210,000), New Jersey (212,000) and Utah (265,000).

So who is making the biggest sacrifices? Among states, Vermont has been hardest hit, with one Iraq war death for every 44,000 residents. But when you take into account soldiers who hail from commonwealths, territories, and protectorates, the picture becomes even more grim. American Samoa, for instance, has sustained one war death for every 12,000 residents. Put another way: if the U.S. had the same casualty rate as Samoa, approximately 24,000 soldiers would have lost their lives in Iraq. The actual total stands at just over 2,100.