During World War II, more than 21,000 American soldiers were convicted of desertion.
Forty-nine of them received death sentences.
However, only one was actually executed.
That man was Private Eddie Slovik, a 24-year-old from Detroit.
On January 31, 1945, in Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, France, Eddie Slovik became the only American soldier since the Civil War to be executed for desertion.
His case has remained one of the most debated episodes in U.S. military history.
Eddie Slovik was born into a poor working-class family in Detroit. In his youth, he committed several minor offenses and spent time in prison. Later, he learned plumbing, got married, and began building a more stable life.
In 1944, as the U.S. Army needed more manpower, Slovik was drafted. He was afraid of combat and worried that he could not handle frontline service.
After arriving in France and joining an infantry unit, Slovik left his assigned position. After some time, he returned to U.S. military control.
When he was given the chance to return to his unit without facing severe punishment, Slovik refused. He wrote a signed confession stating that he had left because he was afraid and that he would leave again if sent back to the front.
That written confession became key evidence at his court-martial in November 1944.
Slovik believed he would receive a prison sentence. For decades, the U.S. Army had not carried out an execution for desertion.
But the wartime situation had changed dramatically. After the Battle of the Bulge in late 1944, the U.S. Army faced heavy losses, declining morale, and a rise in desertion cases.
In that context, Eddie Slovik's file reached the highest level of command. General Dwight D. Eisenhower approved the death sentence.
As a result, Slovik became the only American soldier executed for desertion during World War II.
After the war, his case continued to spark debate. Many believed he was made an example of during a critical moment in the conflict. Others argued that the sentence reflected the harsh discipline of wartime military law.
In 1987, Eddie Slovik's remains were returned to Detroit and buried beside his wife.
To this day, his story is remembered as a rare and troubling historical case that raises lasting questions about military discipline, fairness, and the human pressure of war.