Guy Lochhead, 11/09/10
The only American soldier to be executed for desertion since the American Civil War. Between the ages 12 and 22, Slovik was arrested many times for offences such as breaking and entering, petty theft, grand theft auto and disturbing the peace. He was rejected from the army after applying in 1943, but was reconsidered and accepted later that year, and undertook basic military training before being dispatched to fight in France. While enroute to his assigned unit, Slovik and a friend took cover during an artillery attack. Sovik realised he “wasn’t cut out for combat”. He repeatedly informed officers he was “too scared” to fight, and deliberately incriminated himself with a written note, ignoring repeated attempts to dissuade him. He was court martialled and sentenced to death. 21,000 American soldiers were given varying sentences for desertion in the Second World War, including 49 death sentences. Slovik’s was the only one carried out. His last words were “They’re not shooting me for deserting the United States Army — thousands of guys have done that. They’re shooting me for that bread I stole when I was 12 years old”. Slovik’s execution was a bizarre, horrendous misjudgment ending a life of bad decisions. I don’t want to include it.