A U.S. serviceman’s chance of death in battle, per Nicholas Hobbes’ Essential Militaria (2003):

War of Independence: 2 percent (1 in 50)

War of 1812: 0.8 percent (1 in 127)

Indian Wars: 0.9 percent (1 in 106)

Mexican War: 2.2 percent (1 in 45)

Civil War: 6.7 percent (1 in 15)

Spanish-American War: 0.1 percent (1 in 798)

World War I: 1.1 percent (1 in 89)

World War II: 1.8 percent (1 in 56)

Korean War: 0.6 percent (1 in 171)

Vietnam War: 0.5 percent (1 in 185)

Persian Gulf War: 0.03 percent (1 in 3,162)