Americans from all walks of life made the ultimate sacrifice during World War II. Despite being over 80 years since the last shots were fired, the effects of the war continue to reverberate. No other event in the 20th century can even come close to its importance. The fact is, our world would look completely different if Allied forces had not been victorious.

The death toll from World War II was absolutely staggering in numbers, with over 416,000 American military lives claimed. Other countries lost even more, with Japan, China, Germany and the Soviet Union losing millions.

Every state in the union sent troops to the war, and every state had casualties. The website 24/7 Tempo compiled data from every state to determine which ones ones lost the most lives:

24/7 Tempo calculated the totals and ranked the states according to which saw the most servicemen fall from combat. The total number of service members from each state is a rough estimate from Quora using historical enlistment records in the National Archives.

HOW MANY NEW YORKERS DIED IN WORLD WAR II?

New York ranked #1 in World War II military deaths. Here's how the data breaks down:

• #1 - NEW YORK
  • Died from combat: 25,935
  • Army (including Army Air Forces) killed in action, or from wounds or injuries: 20776 — 1st most
  • Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard combat deaths: 5,159 — 2nd most
  • MIA: 5777 — 1st most
  • Total served in World War II: 896,586 — 1st most

Pennsylvania lost the second most, with 22,507 deaths in combat, and California was third, with 16,447. Alaska lost the least, with 40.

(You can read the complete state-by-state breakdown here.)

Even as the distance between World War II and modern times grows, we should never forget the monumental efforts made by American military personnel. To all those who served, living or dead, we salute you.