Canada’s New Vietnam?

In the 70’s. Canada was a haven for Americans fleeing the Vietnam war. Many were educated college men who opposed the war and refused to allow themselves to be drafted. In addition, soldiers who morally opposed the war and the idea of being part of it also fled to Canada. Our country welcomed them with open arms.

In 1977, President Carter promised to give amnesty to those who had escaped to Canada to dodge the draft. That amnesty was not extended to the “deserters” who had fled to Canada while still serving the military.

Today, Canada has once again become a haven for those American soldiers that cannot agree to serve a military operation that they morally oppose. This time however, we are not as welcoming as we once were. While many cross over the border into Canada, they face the real situation of being deported back to the US where jail time and other punishments await.

In addition to the legal ramifications, there is also the social stigma of being a military deserter. Articles about individuals who escaped to Canada are littered with comments giving you an idea of the types of views at least part of the American population holds. Here are comments from a couple of those articles online:

“This three tour combat vet thinks he is a coward, a disgrace to his family, his state and his nation.”

“I honestly think that you are a naive coward who failed to comprehend the obligations you took on when you signed…

Go ahead and speak ill of your experiences and embellish it with drama; you're merely trying to justify personal cowardice and a failure to "man up" to your commitments.”

“Nobody sent for this deserter, she enlisted for MONEY and benefits. That was the deal, she knew it and signed a contract with MY Government. She deserves to be given the Max penalty that is available. She is a coward in my opinion.”

“Those deserters should be allowed to stay in Canada and never be allowed to come back into America. They should be made to renounce their citizenship! I served in the Army for 4 years...went to Iraq twice. I have 2 Purple Hearts and 2 Bronze Stars. I had the same feelings they had..but I had a job to do and I got paid, was taken care of by the Army and had a family to take care of.”

“I feel the deserters as well as the author have failed to realize that people must be held accountable for their actions. The simple fact is in this case is when you voluntarily take an oath to follow the orders of your superiors and the Commander-in-Chief, you have a responsibility to do so. Regardless of your personal beliefs or ideology.”

So how do we as Canadians deal with this? On one hand these people are, for all intensive purposes, criminals who are wanted by a government authority for breaking the law. On another, they are claiming to be against the actions of their military within the confines of a war that Canada itself refused to support. Canada takes in political refugee claims from citizens of various countries every year…why are these people not given the same level of consideration?

In fact a non-binding motion to stop deporting US deserters passed 137-100 in parliament, showing that there is a large number in Canada who feel that they shouldn’t be sent back.

This situation is not black and white though. There are questions of personal responsibility. There are questions surrounding whether escaping to Canada was truly the only option. There are questions on whether or not a soldier who feels strongly that something being done is immoral shouldn’t make their stand within their own ranks as opposed to cutting and running.

And at the same time, Canadians have always been a country who has used their military for peaceful, just purposes. We have joined into fights, but we have not started them. We have lost brave men and women who gave not only because it was their duty, but because they believed in what it was we were fighting for.

Do we not see ourselves in the eyes of these deserters who refuse to allow themselves to be used as a tool in activities that fall outside their moral boundaries?

Note: The quotes above were from two articles interviewing US military deserters. Kim Rivera’s story is here.Joshua Randall’s is here..