Which war saw a higher percentage of Coast Guard personnel killed than any other U.S. military service?

• A. World War I
• B. Spanish American War
• C. World War II
• D. Vietnam War

Answer: (A)

Casualty rate relative to the size of the service is being tested. In World War I, the Coast Guard was a relatively small force that served as part of the Navy, taking on dangerous convoy escort, patrol, and minesweeping duties against German U-boats. Those high-risk assignments meant a larger share of Coast Guard personnel were killed compared to other U.S. services, even though overall casualties in the war were driven by the larger services. In later conflicts, the Coast Guard’s greater size and different missions kept its proportional losses from reaching the WWI level. That combination of small force and perilous naval duty makes World War I the period with the highest percentage of Coast Guard fatalities among U.S. services.