One in six were too young to buy a beer. About two dozen were old enough for an AARP card. Eleven died on Thanksgiving Day, 11 on Christmas, and at least five on their birthdays. One percent were named Smith. As the nation approaches its 4,000th Iraq war fatality -- on Thursday the toll stood at 3,983 servicemembers plus eight Defense Department civilians -- a USA Today analysis shows who gave their lives, where they came from and how they fell: Ninety-eight percent were male (compared with 99.9% of those lost in Vietnam). Three-quarters were non-Hispanic white (compared with 86% in Vietnam). The most common age was 21 (20 in Vietnam).
