Reddit reviews The Execution of Private Slovik

Hi mate, the word you may be looking for is "desertion", the common shirking-of-duty charge - I can't find any instances of American sailors engaging in mutiny during the time you've asked about. During the second world war over 21,000 American soldiers were charged in courts martial for desertion, 49 death sentences were handed out, and only one poor lad was executed for the crime.

Private Eddie Slovik is the only American soldier executed for desertion since their Civil War. He was a replacement in the Western Front, and got a rough deal. From his own confession (all sic'd):

"I was so scared nerves and trembling that at the time the other replacements moved out I couldn’t move. I stayed their in my fox hole till it was quite and I was able to move. I then walked in town. Not seeing any of our troops so I stayed over night at a French hospital. The next morning I turned myself over to the Canadian Provost Corp. After being with them six weeks I was turned over to American M.R They turned me lose. 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 so I ran away again AND ILL RUN AWAY AGAIN IF I HAVE TO GO OUT THEIR."

His court martial from beginning to the death sentence being handed down was under two hours long. He did himself no favors by confessing to the charge and saying he'd do it again.

Under appeal, it was the opinion of the panel that "He has directly challenged the authority of the government, and future discipline depends upon a resolute reply to this challenge. If the death penalty is ever to be imposed for desertion, it should be imposed in this case, not as a punitive measure nor as retribution, but to maintain that discipline upon which alone an army can succeed against the enemy."

He was shot three weeks after his conviction. This book should cover just about everything involved with the case; and as mentioned, Pvt. Slovik is the only American executed for desertion since 1865.

I read a captivating book about this when I was younger: The Execution of Private Slovik. http://www.amazon.com/Execution-Private-Slovik-William-Bradford/dp/1594160031