有人說,美國對待戰爭中的傷亡人員是“一個蘿卜一個坑”,都是有名有姓有記載的,名字都可在紀念碑上。真是這樣嗎?
朝鮮戰爭結束後,美國宣布有54246人戰死,8000多人失蹤。但到近年,這個戰死人數縮小到36000餘人。對此,眾說紛紜。“美國戰爭紀念委員會”網站給出了一個官方的解釋如下(http://www.abmc.gov/search/koreanwar.php):
“Accessible electronically at the memorial is a Honor Roll database where all 54,246 should be listed. Unfortunately, a fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri destroyed many of the records of service personnel and a complete listing is not available. To date, the database includes the names of nearly 39,000 service men and women who died during that period..."
原來一場火災燒毀了很多朝鮮戰爭陣亡士兵的資料。