Subscribe

(Stars and Stripes)

One way to find the pulse of an audience is to post something to Facebook. Comments, shares, likes and even unfollows can show how readers think about a particular topic.

Stars and Stripes readers are no different.

So what did Stars and Stripes readers react to the most? Deaths — three major ones — reached more than half a million readers with each post to the social network. The deaths of these servicemembers left a tangible mark in history, one that prompted our readers to comment and offer condolences.

On the other hand, celebration — namely Christmas — was also popular. A gallery posted just a few days ago of troops enjoying the holiday around the world ended up reaching nearly half a million Facebook users.

Here are the top 6 most popular Facebook posts from 2014:

No. 6

The good news? Congress was able to pass something: the defense budget. The bad news? The bill included troop benefit cuts.

The story was posted Dec. 12 and reached over 419,000 people.

No. 5

The military community is a family — a strong one — and no matter where they are, that’s evident. This post from Christmas Day reached more than 471,000 people.

No. 4

Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Gallagher, who parachuted into Panama during Operation Just Cause, served as a platoon sergeant with Task Force Ranger in the Somalia battle dubbed “Black Hawk Down,” and fought his way into Baghdad in 2003 died of natural causes at 52.

This post, 11 days after his death on Oct. 13, reached more than 720,000 people, including some people who knew him personally.

No. 3

A cannon boomed across the hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery in mid-August as Maj. Gen. Harold J. Greene, killed in an insider attack in Afghanistan, was buried with full military honors.

The two photos shared on Facebook reached nearly 1.2 million people.

No. 2

The contentious release of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl — after nearly five years in Taliban captivity — reached more than 1.2 million people at the end of May.

There were almost 500 comments on that post, many of which were angry at the release of five Taliban in U.S. custody in exchange for Bergdahl.

No. 1

The Navajo Code Talkers from World War II were amazing Marines, and when the last original code talker died in early June, readers paid their respect to the man in a Red Sox jacket who had an amazing smile.

The news of Chester Nez’s death reached more than 1.5 million people on our Facebook page. A Stars and Stripes story about Nez published in October 2013 reached twice that many people.

tibbetts.meredith@stripes.com Twitter: @mjtibbs

Sign Up for Daily Headlines

Sign up to receive a daily email of today's top military news stories from Stars and Stripes and top news outlets from around the world.

Sign Up Now