bout 306,000 U.S. soldier, sailors, and marines served during the Spanish-American War who died when the ship exploded, are not included in these numbers because their deaths occurred before war was declared. The greatest cause of death during the war was from disease rather than from combat. Nearly 3,000 Americans perished in nonbattle-related deaths. The above photo is of the graves of U.S. soldiers who were buried in Cuba. The U.S. military today makes every effort to bring home soldiers who die overseas.