The Toll of the War in Iraq

Memorial Day is a day for remembering and honoring the sacrifices of American military men and women in war. On this Memorial Day, there is no shortage of sacrifice to consider.

In wars since 9/11, thousands have died. More than 400 in Afghanistan. More than 4,080 now in Iraq.

In March this year, when the U.S. military's death toll in Iraq passed 4,000, we asked guests to try to weigh that sacrifice. On this Memorial Day, we hear again that conversation.Guests:

Tom Bowman, Pentagon correspondent for NPR.

Alissa Rubin, Deputy Baghdad Bureau Chief for the New York Times.

Anthony Cordesman, Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic & International Studies.

Rosemary Palmer, mother of Lance Corporal Augie Schraeder who was serving in the Marine reserves when he was killed on August 3rd, 2005 and co-founder of Families of the Fallen for Change.

Ann Scott Tyson, Military and Pentagon correspondent for the Washington Post.

Paul Kane, a Marine reservist, decorated combat veteran of Iraq and Harvard University's Belfer Center.