THE ONLY ONE... Edward Donald Slovik was not a decorated hero.

THE ONLY ONE... Edward Donald Slovik was not a decorated hero.

He was not a high-ranking officer.

He was a 24-year-old private who said, openly and repeatedly, that he was too afraid to fight.

Born in Detroit in 1920 to Polish-American parents, Slovik had a troubled youth marked by minor crimes. When World War II escalated, the Army first considered him unfit. But by 1944, manpower shortages changed everything. He was drafted, trained, and sent to France with the 28th Infantry Division.



In August 1944, during intense combat movement near Elbeuf, artillery fire scattered his unit. Slovik became separated and was temporarily attached to a Canadian unit. Weeks later, he returned to American forces.

That’s when the defining moment happened.

Instead of quietly slipping back into duty, Slovik told his officers the truth:

He was afraid.

And if sent to the front again, he would run.

His superiors gave him chances.

He could return without punishment.

He could transfer.

He could reconsider.

He refused.

He even submitted a written confession stating he intended to desert rather than face combat.

In November 1944, he was court-martialed for desertion to avoid hazardous duty. He was sentenced to death. The sentence moved up the chain of command during one of the most critical periods of the war — just before the Battle of the Bulge, when morale and discipline were under severe strain.

General Dwight D. Eisenhower approved the execution, believing that an example was necessary at a moment when the war in Europe remained uncertain.

On January 31, 1945, Edward Slovik was executed by firing squad in France.

He became the only American soldier executed for desertion during World War II, despite thousands of similar cases and many other death sentences that were later reduced.

For decades, his story sparked debate. Was he a coward?

Or a frightened young man used to send a message?

His wife fought for a presidential pardon for years. None was granted. In 1987, his remains were returned to the United States and buried beside her.

History does not always offer simple heroes or villains.

Sometimes it forces us to confront uncomfortable questions about fear, discipline, and the price of war.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

In 1931, the quiet desert city of Phoenix, Arizona, was rocked by one of the most sensational crimes in American history

Image
In 1931, the quiet desert city of Phoenix, Arizona, was rocked by one of the most sensational crimes in American history — the case of Winnie Ruth Judd, forever immortalized in headlines as “The Trunk M*rderess.” What began as a bitter feud between friends over jealousy and betrayal ended in a crime so grisly it captivated the nation. Winnie, a 26-year-old medical secretary, had befriended two women — Agnes Anne LeRoi and Hedvig “Sammy” Samuelson — but tensions between them escalated, reportedly over a shared romantic interest.  One October night, a v*olent argument broke out inside their small bungalow. By morning, both women were d*ad — one shot, the other dismembered. In a state of panic and confusion, Winnie stuffed their bodies into two large trunks and a small travel case, then boarded a train bound for Los Angeles, hoping to start over. But as the train rolled west, the gruesome secret began to reveal itself. The trunks leaked and emitted a foul odor, drawing the atte...
Read more

For 51 Years, She Carried This in Silence. At 74, She Finally Spoke. This story was written in 1996 by Zinaida Voronina.

Image
For 51 Years, She Carried This in Silence. At 74, She Finally Spoke. This story was written in 1996 by Zinaida Voronina. For more than half a century, she kept her memories locked away—not because they were unimportant, but because they were too heavy to carry out loud. They lived only inside her soul, where they burned quietly. “My name is Zinaida Voronina. I am 74 years old. And today, for the first time in 51 years, I have decided to speak.” For decades, she woke and fell asleep in silence, afraid that if she let even a single word escape, the past would come rushing back and steal her humanity all over again. Now, as time stretched thinner, she felt a responsibility—to make sure this truth did not disappear with her. Her hands trembled as she spoke. Her heart did not. She said this was not just a war story. It was a story about how something as ordinary as a wooden ruler—something meant for schoolchildren—could become an instrument that slowly broke a young girl’s spirit. Be...
Read more

On April 3, 2000, 17-year-old Jeremy Bechtel called his dad from a party and said he was staying the night

Image
On April 3, 2000, 17-year-old Jeremy Bechtel called his dad from a party and said he was staying the night, then asked for a ride home the next morning. But when Jeremy’s dad arrived, his son was nowhere to be found, as was Jeremy’s friend Erin. Friends told Jeremy’s dad that the two left together in Erin’s car the night before and never came back. For years, rumors swirled about their disappearance. Some said they ran away to Florida, while others said it was a drug deal gone bad. Image: Jeremy and his friend Erin, then recovered car. One person even said he saw them in the back of a truck with blood coming out of it. Police followed all these leads and more, but never turned up anything that might help them solve the case. Then more than two decades after they went missing, a scuba-diving YouTuber who works as an amateur investigator on missing persons cases took up the cause — and within days, found the teens’ submerged car in a local river, finally putting an end to this ...
Read more

16-year-old Cheryl Pierson was a popular cheerleader from Long Island with numerous friends and a loving boyfriend, Robert Cuccio

Image
16-year-old Cheryl Pierson was a popular cheerleader from Long Island with numerous friends and a loving boyfriend, Robert Cuccio. But behind this facade of normality, she was harbouring a horrific secret. Since the tender age of 11, Cheryl’s father, James Pierson Sr., had been molesting her. The first assault happened when James was driving Cheryl to visit her mother in hospital. As they drove, he fondled her. She later recollected how he would often force her to the bed and tell her to pretend that he was her boyfriend. She was subjected to “all kinds of sex” and was often being raped at least twice a day. Whenever James felt as though Cheryl was acting out of place, he would beat her mercilessly and would even exact punishment on her dog, Cocoa: He kicked her so hard that she bounced off the wall and then cried for hours. “He wouldn’t let me go near her to comfort her. She kept crying and it made me feel so sad I wanted to die,” Cheryl said. He was a ticking time bomb. He had...
Read more

In December 1960, a 12-year-old boy named Howard Dully became one of the youngest patients ever to receive a transorbital lobotomy

Image
 In December 1960, a 12-year-old boy named Howard Dully became one of the youngest patients ever to receive a transorbital lobotomy — a procedure now remembered as one of the darkest chapters in medical history. His stepmother insisted that Howard was “difficult” and possibly schizophrenic. Most teachers and doctors disagreed. But one man—Dr. Walter Freeman, the self-proclaimed “father of the lobotomy”—was willing to proceed. With his father’s consent, the boy’s fate was sealed. On December 16, Howard was sedated using electroshock. Freeman then inserted an orbitoclast—a sharp metal instrument resembling an ice pick—through each eye socket, tapping it with a hammer to break through the thin bone behind the eyes and into the brain. He then “swirled” it to sever the neural pathways of Howard’s frontal lobes. When Howard awoke, he was feverish, bruised, and empty. “I was like a zombie,” he later said. The surgery had stolen his sense of self. He was soon cast out of his home an...
Read more

The year was 1945. Pr0stituti0n in Mexico was a respectable business. The sisters were untalented and uneducated

Image
The year was 1945. Pr0stituti0n in Mexico was a respectable business. The sisters were untalented and uneducated, but they certainly did not lack ambition. With few options available, the Valenzuelas started a business. "Rancho El Ángel" was a brothel with, you guessed it, the four sisters running it. Business was good, but the sisters wanted to expand. None of them were attractive and therefore needed new labor. An advertisement was placed in the local newspapers: maids were needed; free room and board, plus good wages. Only young females. The response was excellent. Those who were chosen received free room and board. But no salary. They had to work as s*x sl@ves, never go out. Despite their booming business, the sisters wanted to expand further. They hired mercenaries to kidn@p girls along the US border. Virgins were set aside for special clients who paid higher rates to perform "defloration". More brothels were set up. First one, then another, and another and ano...
Read more

April 1945. Mittelbau-Dora. A Shadow the Soldiers Never Forgot

Image
 April 1945. Mittelbau-Dora. A Shadow the Soldiers Never Forgot. When American soldiers stepped into the Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp, they believed they were prepared for anything. They were not. Among the silence and ruin, they noticed a man whose shadow seemed heavier than his body—dark, thin, and unmoving on the ground beside him. It was as if his shadow had endured more than flesh ever could. When he saw the soldiers, he tried to stand. Not because he could—but because somewhere deep inside him, dignity still lived. His legs were no thicker than dry branches. His ribs pressed sharply against his skin, each one a quiet record of hunger that had lasted far too long. His body had been surviving by consuming itself, clinging stubbornly to life when the world had decided he should vanish. He rose for a moment… and then his knees gave way. Not from weakness of will—but because his muscles had been starved of purpose for years. He weighed no more than a child. Yet he carr...
Read more

In 2009, in the remote mountains of Afghanistan’s Oruzgan province, a young girl named Bibi Aisha endured an act of cruelty almost beyond comprehension

Image
In 2009, in the remote mountains of Afghanistan’s Oruzgan province, a young girl named Bibi Aisha endured an act of cruelty almost beyond comprehension. After years of abuse inside a Taliban-controlled household, she fled in search of safety. What followed was punishment meant to erase her. Her nose and ears were cut away, and she was left alone in the mountains, assumed dead. But Aisha refused to disappear. Injured, bleeding, and barely conscious, she crawled through the cold terrain until she reached her grandfather’s home. Survival, in that moment, became an act of defiance. Her suffering was not an anomaly—it reflected the brutal reality faced by countless women and girls living under rigid tribal customs and extremist rule, where asserting independence, even in silence, can invite devastating consequences. For many, there is no escape. For Aisha, there was just enough strength to keep moving. In 2010, the world finally saw her. South African photojournalist Jodi Bieber c...
Read more

Photograph of Sharon Tate and Jay Sebring very shortly before they were m*rdered by followers of Charles Manson.

Image
 Photograph of Sharon Tate and Jay Sebring very shortly before they were m*rdered by followers of Charles Manson. On the evening of August 8, 1969, the air in Benedict Canyon was thick with the scent of jasmine and the low hum of cicadas. Inside 10050 Cielo Drive, the atmosphere was peaceful, a stark contrast to the v*olence that loomed in the shadows of the hills. Sharon Tate, eight-and-a-half months pregnant and radiant despite the summer heat, sat in the living room. Her husband, Roman Polanski, was away in London, and she found comfort in the company of her closest friends. Among them was Jay Sebring, the pioneering Hollywood hairstylist and Sharon's former fiancé. Their romantic relationship had evolved into a deep, protective platonic bond; Jay remained her confidant and a steady presence in her life. Earlier that night, the group had dined at El Coyote. Now, they were unwinding in the quiet sanctuary of the home. Jay and Sharon chatted about the upcoming birth, t...
Read more

The Disturbing History of Japan’s ‘Comfort Women’: Rare Photographs

Image
The Disturbing History of Japan’s ‘Comfort Women’: Rare Photographs The story of Japan’s “comfort women” remains one of the most painful and heavily documented examples of wartime exploitation in modern history. Between 1932 and 1945, the Imperial Japanese government created and oversaw a vast system of sexual slavery that stretched across much of Asia and the Pacific. The term “comfort women,” introduced by the Japanese military, was intentionally euphemistic and has long been criticized by scholars for downplaying the magnitude of the crimes committed. Researchers generally agree that the number of women forced into this system reached into the hundreds of thousands, with victims ranging from adult women to girls barely twelve years old. An ethnic Chinese comfort woman being interviewed by a flying officer of the Royal Air Force at Rangoon, 8 August 1945. Most were taken from Korea and China, but survivors have been identified from Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesi...
Read more

Popular posts from this blog

MY 16-YEAR-OLD SON WENT TO STAY WITH HIS GRANDMOTHER FOR THE SUMMER – ONE DAY

Image
MY 16-YEAR-OLD SON WENT TO STAY WITH HIS GRANDMOTHER FOR THE SUMMER – ONE DAY, I GOT A CALL FROM HER, AND HER FIRST WORDS WERE, "PLEASE, SAVE ME FROM HIM!" So, for the first time ever, my son actually asked to spend the summer with my mom — all by himself! This was a huge surprise, given that he's usually not interested in going to her place or spending time in her small town. My mom is disabled, and I pay for a caregiver to help her every day. She refuses to live with us or move into a senior home. My son even offered to take care of her himself, saying I could give the caregiver a break. "Maybe he's finally becoming responsible?" I thought. The first week went fine, and he was sweet on the phone, but I noticed that anytime I asked to speak with my mom, he'd say she was busy or asleep. Then came the scary part. I got a call from my son's number — but it was my mom's voice whispering, "Please, come save me from him!" be...
Read more

If your dog is sniffing your genital area, it means you have

Image
As an animal owner, it is your responsibility to feed and take care of them. Part of being a good hooman to your pet is knowing ways to communicate with them and knowing why your pet behaves in a particular way. There are people who know reasons why their dogs smell their private areas, but also some people aren’t yet aware what this behaviour pertains. The reason behind dogs sniffing behaviour according to a site named Master Bowie, “is gathering information and saying hello. We have sweat glands, apocrine glands to be precise, which release pheromones that convey all different types of information (eg. age, sex, mood, health). These glands are heavily concentrated in the armpits and genitals. Well… since they can’t reach the armpits, so crotch it is…”. Dogs cannot speak so they have their own ways. Your dog is just trying to know you, but if you’re embarrassed with this innate behaviour, you can redirect it by training your dog; giving treats and saying...
Read more

This historic photo has never been edited – have a closer look and try not to gasp when you see it

Image
This historic photo has never been edited – have a closer look and try not to gasp when you see it 😲  Looking back at old Oscars photos, especially from the 1970s, gives me a nostalgic feeling. There’s something almost haunting about those pictures — they bring back memories of a different time, a different America, when the Academy Awards felt truly exciting. Back then, our celebrities had a sense of class, glamour, beauty, and elegance. It’s surprising to see so many amazing stars who are no longer with us, reminding us how short life really is. I used to know every nominee, every movie, and every song. Now, it’s hard for me to keep up. Someone once said the 1975 Oscars were “back when actors and actresses had class and no political agenda.” While that might not be completely true, it does feel like we’ve lost something important over time. Let’s take a look back at the 47th Academy Awards and focus on a particular photo that has sparked lots of discussion recently. What ...
Read more

She ran him over twice, stepped out of her car, knelt beside him, kissed him — and then st*bbd him nine times

Image
She ran him over twice, stepped out of her car, knelt beside him, kissed him — and then st*bbd him nine times. On May 3, 2024, 20-year-old Karon Fisher fatally attacked 64-year-old Steven Anderson outside his home in Houston, Texas. Anderson had just walked outside to collect his mail when Fisher’s vehicle struck him. Instead of stopping, Fisher reversed, hit him again, and then got out of the car. What followed was captured on a neighbor’s security camera — Fisher straddled Anderson’s body, kissed him, and repeatedly st*bbd him. Witnesses rushed out, one bringing a pillow to try to help the victim, but it was too late. Anderson, a retired manager at a cancer center, was described by neighbors as kind, gentle, and deeply loved in his community. Fisher was arrested the same day and charged with m*rder. Her bond was initially set at $2 million. Later that day, while under evaluation at a hospital, Fisher allegedly assaulted a staff member — and later bit a jailer while in c...
Read more

“The Forgotten Photograph: A Glimpse Into the Shadows of Nazi Cruelty”

Image
 🔺🚨❗ Viewer Discretion Advised: Historical Content — For Awareness and Remembrance  “The Forgotten Photograph: A Glimpse Into the Shadows of Nazi Cruelty” It was an image buried for decades — a photograph taken during the Second World War that would later send chills down the spines of historians. At first glance, it showed what seemed to be a simple scene of prisoners and guards. But behind the frame lay an unspoken story of suffering, courage, and the inhumanity that scarred an entire generation. When experts re-examined it nearly 80 years later, they realized its true value wasn’t in the mystery of the faces, but in what it revealed about history itself — the cold precision of the Nazi regime’s cruelty, the dehumanization of prisoners, and the silent endurance of those trapped in unimaginable circumstances. Historians confirmed that many such photographs, once thought to be propaganda or staged, actually documented moments before or after interrogations at c...
Read more

I LET A HOMELESS WOMAN STAY IN MY GARAGE – ONE DAY, I WALKED IN WITHOUT KNOCKING

Image
  I LET A HOMELESS WOMAN STAY IN MY GARAGE – ONE DAY, I WALKED IN WITHOUT KNOCKING I'm 61, a millionaire by inheritance, but despite the wealth, my life felt empty. My parents died when I was 20, leaving me with a luxurious estate but no one to share it with. Women came and went, but I always felt they were after my money, so I never built a family. One day, I saw a fragile woman rummaging through garbage. Despite her situation, her eyes held resilience. Compassion hit me. I approached her gently. "Can I help you?" She hesitated but introduced herself as Lexi, explaining how her husband left her for a pregnant mistress, ruining her career and leaving her homeless. Without hesitation, I offered her a place in my garage, which was spacious and well-equipped. Lexi couldn't believe her luck. Then, one afternoon, I was in a rush to grab a pump from the garage. During the day, Lexi usually went out, so I didn't bother knocking. But as I swung the door open, I...
Read more

Wild Snake “Begged” Me For Some Water. When Animal Control Realizes Why, They Say, “You Got Lucky

Image
 I thought it was just thirsty—until I saw the truth. Wild Snake “Begged” Me For Some Water. When Animal Control Realizes Why, They Say, “You Got Lucky!” Jake’s peaceful day at the lake took a strange turn when a black snake slithered up to him. At first, he thought it was just curious—but its calm, almost pleading behavior was unlike anything he’d seen before. Instead of retreating, the snake stayed close. Moved by instinct, Jake offered it a glass of water. To his shock, it drank. Unnerved but curious, Jake called animal control. When officer Mark arrived, his serious expression told Jake this wasn’t routine. “Snakes don’t usually act like this,” Mark warned, keeping a close eye on the animal. “It could be sick, or something else is going on.” Jake, still puzzled, noted, “It’s not attacking.” But Mark remained firm. “That doesn’t matter. Best to stay cautious.” They backed away, observing the snake from a safe distance. The atmosphere grew tense. Jake couldn’t shake th...
Read more

In April 1981, the body of a young white woman was found in a ditch on Greenlee Road in Newton Township, Ohio.

Image
In April 1981, the body of a young white woman was found in a ditch on Greenlee Road in Newton Township, Ohio. She was wearing a buckskin poncho, so investigators called her the "Buckskin Girl." That same day, her body was examined. It was found that she had suffered serious injuries to her head and neck before being strangled to death about 48 hours before her body was found. Despite many years of hard work by investigators, the identity of the Buckskin Girl remained unknown for over 30 years. On April 9, 2018, the Miami Valley Regional Crime Laboratory announced that they had identified the woman as 21-year-old Marcia Lenore King from Little Rock, Arkansas. Marcia had last been seen by her family in 1980. Although she wasn’t officially reported missing, her family had kept searching for her. The identification was made possible by detailed DNA testing. Sadly, the person who caused her death has still not been found.
Read more

An American named Steve McNeld posted a photo of himself with his grandmother in a coffin

Image
An American named Steve McNeld posted a photo of himself with his grandmother in a coffin, happy about her death because he would inherit $900,000 from her. However, after the funeral, he was surprised to find that she had donated her entire fortune to charity and left him a note saying, "My little dog, Steve... I left you your grandfather's crutch and my dentures in my closet. I hope your feet wear out and your teeth fall out so you can benefit from them. Get them before the new owners come home!!!
Read more

That was the sentence a German commander gave me when I was sixteen years old.

Image
“You have three choices.” That was the sentence a German commander gave me when I was sixteen years old. None of them let me remain innocent. My name is Arianne Davaux. I am 82 years old now. I live quietly near Chalon-sur-Saône, in a small house with a garden full of hydrangeas. To the people who pass by, I am just an old woman who smiles politely and keeps to herself. They don’t know that I have carried two deaths inside me for nearly eight decades. They don’t know that in 1943, I learned that hell doesn’t need fire. It only needs a man who smiles… and offers you water before destroying you. I never told this story to my children. I never told it to my husband before he died. I buried it deep, like a body no one was meant to find. But now, sitting alone in this silent house, I know something: If I die without speaking, the truth dies with me. People often believe the horrors of World War II happened far away — on battlefields, in camps with names they learned from books. They ...
Read more