Cost of Commitment

The U.S. military command in Saigon announced last week that 6,721 American fighting men have died thus far in Viet Nam in 1967, a total greater by 77 than all the battle deaths of Americans in the previous six years of the conflict. The year's wounded have reached 45,705—again more than half the total wounded (83,433) since Jan. 1, 1961. The casualties this year reflect the cost of the much greater commitment of U.S. ground forces to the war and the fierce fighting and constant shelling of U.S. Marines along the Demilitarized Zone.