The next day, he deserted and gave a note explaining himself to a cook at headquarters. He was finally taken to a lieutenant colonel who promised that he would not be punished if he changed his mind and fought, but he staunchly refused and requested a court-martial. His unit was about to begin fighting in the Hurtgen Forest, where the US Army experienced its worst combat in history. He thought he would only be imprisoned for the remainder of the war.
Instead, faced with a rapidly rising number of desertions, the Army sentenced him to death. He pled to General Eisenhower and was refused clemency. Major General Norman Cota defended the Army’s decision, vilifying Slovik as “a coward of the lowest order.â€
Slovik was executed by firing squad on January 31, 1945 outside Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, France. A volley of 11 .30-06 bullets peppered his chest and somehow did not kill him immediately. He died after three minutes of asphyxiation and exsanguination. He had stated, “They’re not shooting me for deserting the United States Army . . . They’re shooting me for the bread and chewing gum I stole when I was 12 years old.†Family and supporters have petitioned every president since 1945 for Slovik’s exoneration, none of whom have granted it. --
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Topic: Edward Donald Slovik (Read 1668 times)