# How many U.S. deserters were executed in WWII? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 5, 2006, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-u-s-deserters-were-executed-in-wwii/379215 "2006-11-05T22:19:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2006, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-u-s-deserters-were-executed-in-wwii/379215/1 "2006-11-05T22:19:58Z")
That is, how many U.S. servicemen were found guilty of desertion and executed; not how many deserted and were captured and killed by the enemy. May as well throw in cowardice and similar charges as well. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2006, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-u-s-deserters-were-executed-in-wwii/379215/2 "2006-11-05T22:21:29Z")
[Exactly one.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Slovik) ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2006, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-u-s-deserters-were-executed-in-wwii/379215/3 "2006-11-05T22:30:37Z")
we should note that cowardice is a difficult charge to prove, being an essentially subjective assessment of a state of mind, whereas desertion is a matter of fact (did the man quit his post or did he not?) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2006, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-u-s-deserters-were-executed-in-wwii/379215/4 "2006-11-05T22:32:00Z")
[QUOTE=pravnik] [Exactly one.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Slovik) [/QUOTE] I saw the film. Now that you’ve mentioned it, I do STR that the filmmakers claimed he was the only one. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2006, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-u-s-deserters-were-executed-in-wwii/379215/5 "2006-11-05T23:45:46Z")
There were other soldiers who were charged with desertion and executed. But in every case except Slovik’s, there were also other more serious charges. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2006, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-u-s-deserters-were-executed-in-wwii/379215/6 "2006-11-05T23:59:23Z")
Who were they? ---
**Author:** ![YPOD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e99b99/32.png) [@YPOD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YPOD)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-u-s-deserters-were-executed-in-wwii/379215/7 "2006-11-06T02:18:36Z")
There was a book about the execution of Slovik which, IMHO, was much better than the movie - which was pretty good anyway. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-u-s-deserters-were-executed-in-wwii/379215/8 "2006-11-06T03:58:02Z")
[QUOTE=Little Nemo] There were other soldiers who were charged with desertion and executed. But in every case except Slovik’s, there were also other more serious charges. [/QUOTE] According to the Wikipedia list, no one in WWII who was charged with desertion was executed except Slovik. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-u-s-deserters-were-executed-in-wwii/379215/9 "2006-11-06T18:53:55Z")
Slovik was the only one executed just for desertion. A lot of other soldiers were executed for crimes like murder or rape and many of them were also deserters. It’s not like they asked for a two day pass so they could ride into town and kill somebody. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-u-s-deserters-were-executed-in-wwii/379215/10 "2006-11-06T23:28:10Z")
The sentence of the court specifies what the sentence is for each crime of which the accused is found guilty. Which members of the Armed Forces other than Slovik where executed for desertion?