Private Eddie Slovik became the first American soldier since the Civil War to be executed for desertion and the only one to face such a fate during World War II.
Slovik was drafted despite being initially classified 4-F due to a previous prison record for grand theft auto. When draft standards were relaxed, he was reclassified 1-A. In January 1944, he underwent rifleman training, which he disliked because he had a strong aversion to guns.
By August 1944, Slovik was deployed to France with the 28th Infantry Division. As a replacement soldier—a role often looked down upon by officers—he and a fellow soldier became disoriented amid the chaos of battle and ended up with a Canadian unit, who sheltered them.
On October 5, after being handed back to the American military police, Slovik and his companion rejoined the 28th Division in Elsenborn, Belgium. Though it was common for replacements to get lost early in their service, Slovik immediately expressed his fear and anxiety about combat. He threatened to desert if pressed into action. His concerns were disregarded, leading him to flee. When he returned the next day, he confessed to desertion and warned that he would flee again if forced into combat. Despite advice from an officer to retract his confession, Slovik refused and was placed in confinement.
The 28th Division was dealing with numerous cases of soldiers injuring themselves or deserting to avoid combat. Slovik was offered a deal to go into combat immediately in exchange for avoiding a court-martial, but he refused. On November 11, he was tried, convicted in under two hours, and sentenced to execution by firing squad.
Slovik’s appeal was denied. The military argued that his actions directly challenged its authority and that a severe response was necessary to maintain discipline. A final appeal to General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander, was unsuccessful due to the ongoing Battle of the Bulge, which was causing massive American casualties. Eisenhower upheld the death sentence.
Slovik was executed by a 12-man firing squad in eastern France.