Eddie Slovik | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Edward Donald Slovik February 18, 1920 Detroit, Michigan, United States |
| Died | January 31, 1945 (aged 24) |
| Cause of death | Execution by firing squad |
| Criminal status | Executed |
| Conviction(s) | Desertion |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
| Military career | |
| Nickname(s) | "Eddie" |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/ |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1944–1945 |
| Rank | Private |
| Service number | 36896415 |
| Unit | Company G, 109th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Spouse(s) |
Antoinette Wisniewski
(m. 1942–1945) |
Edward Donald Slovik (February 18, 1920 – January 31, 1945) was a United States Army soldier during World War II and the only American soldier to be court-martialled and executed for desertion since the American Civil War.[1][2] Although over 21,000 American soldiers were given varying sentences for desertion during World War II, including 49 death sentences, Slovik's death sentence was the only one that was carried out.[1][3][4]
During World War II, 1.7 million courts-martial were held, representing one third of all criminal cases tried in the United States during the same period. Most of the cases were minor, as were the sentences.[2] Nevertheless, a clemency board, appointed by Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson in the summer of 1945, reviewed all general courts-martial where the accused was still in confinement,[2][5] and remitted or reduced the sentence in 85 percent of the 27,000 serious cases reviewed.[2] The death penalty was rarely imposed, and usually only for cases involving rape or murder. Slovik was the only soldier executed who had been convicted of a "purely military" offense.[2]
- ^ a b Simmons, Zena (August 25, 1999). "The Execution of Pvt. Eddie Slovik". The Detroit News. Archived from the original on May 25, 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e The Execution of Private Slovik. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. 1993. ISBN 978-0899418452. Archived from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved April 20, 2011.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - ^ ExecutedToday.com (January 31, 2009). "1945: Private Eddie Slovik, the last American shot for desertion". executedtoday.com. Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved October 6, 2012.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Kimmelmanwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Courts of Appeal, Army Style". Milwaukee Journal. December 23, 1945. Archived from the original on February 8, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2011.