There are statistics and there are statistics. Since the antiwar crowd likes to use them in this, it's only fair to put them in perspective:
500 deaths = number of people killed in auto accidents in six days in this country
500 deaths = number of people killed by drunk drivers in this country in 2 1/2 weeks
500 deaths = number of deaths in this country from alcohol abuse in about 22 hours
500 deaths = number of people who die in this country from smoking-related illnesses in about a 10 hour period
and finally, the Big One:
500 deaths = number of people who die in this country about every 3 hours from abortion
That is not to minimize the sacrifice that those 500 brave souls and their families have made. Each one is a tragedy and, as with all wartime deaths, those of us who remain must never forget or fail to appreciate that loss. But those who would use that as a political issue would be well-advised to examine what the cost in human lives is for those other issues they so passionately advocate.
I believe the killing rate during WWII for American servicemen was 7,000 per week.