Lonan3 Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,11...2097540,00.html From this article, it seems the present American administration is trying to send a message to any of its troops who may not be happy with life in Iraq, Afghanistan etc. Thirty-six years after he deserted from the US Marines to avoid being sent to Vietnam, Ernest “Buck” McQueen believed that the military had long ago given up looking for him. But on January 12 his past caught up with him. After his brother-in-law inadvertently tipped off an undercover investigator about his whereabouts, Mr McQueen, 55, was arrested in a burger bar close to his home in Fort Worth and shipped off to a Marine jail in California. “It wouldn’t have taken a brain surgeon to find me any time,” Mr McQueen, balding and grey, said. “It must be to send a message to the young guys in Iraq not to desert. Why else would they suddenly be chasing down old men?” Mr McQueen, who is now back home, is not the only Vietnam deserter who believes that. According to Pentagon records released last week, at least 9,000 members of the all-volunteer US military have deserted in the past three years. Although the desertion rate is lower than before 9/11, lawyers for the Vietnam deserters say that the recent arrests are designed to send a clear message to serving troops. I can't help hoping wondering whether it might not backfire by relating the debacle of Vietnam to current events. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juan Kerr Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,11...2097540,00.html I can't help hoping wondering whether it might not backfire by relating the debacle of Vietnam to current events. They don't want to push the Vietnam comparisons at all - particularly as Bush was found to be a sort of informal absconder from the air rangers rather than a full blown deserter during that period, but it would be quite a coup to see them catch up with "idiot in chief" on the matter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.K. Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 lawyers for the Vietnam deserters say that the recent arrests are designed to send a clear message to serving troops Wrong - they just don't understand the military. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3975055.stm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoneWolf Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 lawyers for the Vietnam deserters say that the recent arrests are designed to send a clear message to serving troops Wrong - they just don't understand the military. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3975055.stm The Brits used to prosecute long time deserters as well. Certainly during my time in the RN we occasionally heard of someone doing 42 days in DQs having given themselves up after several years "on the trot" Does this still happen ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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