4,000 American soldiers have died in combat in ongoing war in Iraq. The grim milestone came as a bomb exploded in Southern Baghdad on Sunday, March 23, 2008, killing four U.S. soldiers. When asked to comment on the number, Vice President Dick Cheney said that those who had died in Iraq "volunteered" for their mission and recognized the importance of the War on Terror.

• MSNBC: Bush resolute in face of Iraq death toll (March 24, 2008)
  • Bush: "One day, people will look back at this moment in history and say, 'Thank God there were courageous people willing to serve because they laid the foundation for peace for generations to come.' I vow so long as I am president to make sure that those lives were not lost in vain."
• Newsweek: Chronology of Death (March 24, 2008)
• ABC News: Cheney on 4,000 Dead: They Volunteered (March 24, 2008)
  • Cheney: "The president carries the biggest burden, obviously. He's the one who has to make the decision to commit young Americans, but we are fortunate to have a group of men and women, the all-volunteer force, who voluntarily put on the uniform and go in harm's way for the rest of us."
• CNN: U.S. death toll in Iraq reaches 4,000 (March 24, 2008)
  • Rear Adm. Gregory Smith: "No casualty is more or less significant than another; each soldier, Marine, airman and sailor is equally precious and their loss equally tragic."
• MSNBC: U.S. death toll in Iraq hits 4,000 - Conflict in Iraq (March 23, 2008)
• Topix.net: Iraq War U.S. Death Toll Reaches 4000
• Google News: Iraq War U.S. Death Toll Reaches 4000