Surprising Things That Happen After The United States Declares War

The 1945 death of Private Eddie Slovik is pretty heart-breaking stuff. The 24-year-old was shipped off to France and, in his first experience in active combat, knew he couldn’t cut it. He took off, fell in with a group of Canadian soldiers, was handed over to the Americans, and given a second chance. After leaving again, he surrendered with a note that read, in part (via American Heritage), “I, Pvt. Eddie D. Slovik, … confess to the desertion of the United States Army. … I told my commanding officer my story. I said that if I had to go out their again Id run away. He said their was nothing he could do for me to I ran away again AND ILL RUN AWAY AGAIN IF I HAVE TO GO OUT THEIR.”

Slovik was put on trial, then put in front of the firing squad: The 12 soldiers chosen to shoot him didn’t make a clean kill of it, and he died as they were reloading. It might seem like that kind of punishment was left behind in the 1940s, but the potential to hand out the death penalty for desertion during wartime is still on the books.

The Congressional Research Services points to this clause, stating: “[desertion or attempted desertion] shall be punished, ‘if the offense is committed in time of war,’ by death or ‘such other punishment as a court-martial may direct.'” In addition, a declaration of war allows for the death penalty to be handed out in other cases, too, including disobeying orders given by a superior officer, and falling asleep while on guard duty.

You May Also Like

Illinois Teens Charged With Mob Action for Dragging Woman into Woods and Beating Her Up

Two Illinois teenagesr have been charged with mob action for allegedly attacked…

Senate Moves To Restore ‘Customary Use’ Access of Private Beaches By Public, Repealing 2018 Law

Flagler County’s customarily public beaches. (© FlaglerLive) Amid noisy battles in Walton…

Judge Says Bryan Kohberger’s Autism Diagnosis Doesn’t Exempt Him From Death Penalty

The judge overseeing the case of Bryan Kohberger, accused of killing four…

Woman hit 9-year-old in head with pot for doing dishes wrong, made him place hand on table and broke his finger: Police

Inset: Daniela Raymond (Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center). Background: The area in…