"ARVN Colonel HO NGOC CAN (1940-1975)
Ho Ngoc Can was admitted in the ARVN Junior Military Academy when he was 14 years old. After graduation, he served 4 years as an instructor sergeant in the same academy.
In 1961, he attended the Officer Candidates Class at the Dong De NCO Academy and was the distinguished graduate of the class in 1962.
After commissioned, Can served the Ranger Corps as a platoon leader.
He was promoted to captain in 1965, to major in 1968, to lieutenant colonel in 1971, and to full colonel in 1974. He was successfully commanding the 1/33 Battalion (21st Infantry Division), the 15th Regiment (9th Inf. Div.).
In 1974, Can was appointed province chief of Chuong Thien Province, Vietnam south area. On April 30, 1975, he refused to surrender to the enemy.
Along with his troops, Can was fighting with all his might, holding the provincial headquarters until 11:00 PM on May 1, when his forces were out of ammunition.
In the last minutes, he ordered the soldiers to leave the headquarters for safety while he and a faithful Popular Force militiaman covered them with a machine gun. He fell into the hands of the Communist force after he failed an attempt to kill himself.
He told the enemy that he wouldn't surrender, and asked them to let him salute the ARVN colors in his uniform before the execution.
Colonel Can was publicly executed by the Communist firing squad after a quick summary trial at a Communist kangaroo court.
Throughout American history, this has occurred many times, typically much earlier in history (American Revolution to the Civil War), however, one case occurred during World War II and marked the last time the US military would execute someone for desertion.
Late in WWII American forces needed replacements in greater numbers than what was already happening. Therefore, many Americans who had initially been rated 4-F now found themselves eligible for service.
This was the case for Edward “Eddie” Donald Slovik, who was initially rated 4-F in 1942 for his prison record (Grand Theft Auto) but due to the need for replacements in 1944 he received a rating of 1-A and shipped to Camp Wolter, Texas for basic training and by July 1944 he was at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland awaiting transportation to just his new unit Company G, 109th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division.
However, while in transit to his unit at Elbeuf, France he and Private John Tankey (a friend from training) got separated from their transport and Company during an artillery attack. A Canadian unit found them, and the pair stayed with them for the next six weeks.
During this time, Slovik decided to desert the Army altogether, despite Taneky attempting to talk him out of it. Once they rejoined their unit Slovik told his commander that he was “too scared and too nervous” to fight in the front and asked to be moved to the rear.
When the commander denied his request, Slovik told him if he was not reassigned, he would leave asking if that would count as desertion. His commander told him it would and that he would not be reassigned, therefore Slovik left, returning the next day and giving a note admitting and confessing to his crime of desertion and that he would desert again if forced into combat.
From there Slovik was brought to court-martial on November 11, 1944 and was found guilty by the end of the day and sentenced to execution by firing squad. Slovik started appealing his court-martial, each time being turned down.
Finally, Slovik made his final appeal to General Eisenhower, which was bad timing on his part. Slovik’s appeal to Eisenhower while the Battle of Bulge was occurring, and Eisenhower was not sympathetic to someone who both knowingly and willingly deserted from combat.
On December 23, 1944, General Eisenhower upheld Slovik’s conviction and on January 31, 1945, Private Edward Slovik was executed by firing squad for the crime of desertion. Slovik was the first person to be executed by the military for desertion since the Civil War and the last person executed by the military for that crime.
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