Canadian held for deserting U.S. Marines in 1968

[Michael OLeary]

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/03/12/marine-deserter-060312.html

Canadian held for deserting U.S. marines in 1968
Last Updated Sun, 12 Mar 2006 13:49:04 EST
CBC News

A B.C. man has spent the weekend detained at a military base in California after being arrested for deserting the U.S. Marine Corps four decades ago during the Vietnam War.

Allen Abney, who was born in the United States but became a Canadian citizen in 1977, was arrested at a border crossing on Thursday while trying to enter Idaho from southeastern British Columbia.
Allen Abney

Abney, 56, lives in Kingsgate in British Columbia's East Kootenay region, in a house about 100 metres from the Canada-U.S. border.

He and his wife were on their way for a holiday in Reno, Nev., when U.S. officials accused him of desertion and took him into custody.

In 1968, Abney was a 19-year-old marine when he fled to Canada because he didn't want to fight in Vietnam.

Charges on desertion can result in penalties ranging from a dishonorable discharge from the U.S. military to a court martial and possible jail sentence.

U.S. military 'not saying anything,' Abney's wife says

His wife, Adrienne, said Abney was being held in a military prison at Camp Pendleton, Calif.

But she said she had no idea what will happen next.

"They're not saying anything to him yet," she told CBC News.

"I talked to him twice on Friday, just very briefly. He's in the brig."

Arrest came during routine crossing

Abney's wife said the trouble began when their passports were checked during a routine border crossing.

"After running them through some computer, they said we'd have to come inside," she said.

"They took Alan away into a room and locked him up."

Then customs officials confiscated several of Abney's personal items, she said.

"They took his belt, his suspenders, shoes, his wallet, his glasses, everything."

Abney said her husband's case has come to the attention of Lynn Gonzalez, a counsellor with the San Diego Military Counseling Project.

The group's website explains that it offers support to "active duty folks and their families who are having problems within the military."

Abney said Gonzalez is keeping in touch with her about the case.

"She phoned me yesterday and said, basically he's all right." she said.

"We're just waiting to hear what they are going to do."

 

[tomahawk6]

A little taste of what awaits Hinzman et al should they return to the US anytime in the future.

 

[Sheerin]

I'm sorry but does arresting a 56 year old man for deserting 40 years ago really accomplish anything?

 

[beach_bum]

Why should he get away with it?  He deserted, yet feels he should be able to vacation in the country he deserted?  You do the crime you do the time.  Perhaps now he'll try to remember the reasons he didn't file the papers.  Keep in mind that he also volunteered to joine, he wasn't drafted.

 

[the 48th regulator]

I'm sorry but does arresting a 56 year old man for deserting 40 years ago really accomplish anything?

Yep,

It enhances the fact that your freedom is not a God given right,

It is earned....

dileas

tess

 

[George Wallace]

I'm sorry but does arresting a 56 year old man for deserting 40 years ago really accomplish anything?

I suppose you ask the same question of why we search out and imprison Nazi, Croat, Serb, Kosovar, Somali, and other War Criminals after over sixty years too.

The man made a mistake and is now paying for it.  We will probably see the US Marine Corps give him a fair trial, and a light sentence and repatriate him to Canada soon afterwards.  I doubt he will see "Heavy Labour" or worse, that he would have forty years ago.

 

[Bart Nikodem]

We will probably see the US Marine Corps give him a fair trial, and a light sentence and repatriate him to Canada soon afterwards.  I doubt he will see "Heavy Labour"

I agree, if you remember back to the early eighties the same thing happened to Venus Flytrap on "WKRP in Cincinnati" where Venus got a light sentence.
All the best,
Bart

 

[geo]

I'm sorry but does arresting a 56 year old man for deserting 40 years ago really accomplish anything?

Considering the number of desertions / AWLs that the US Forces are experiencing right now.... yes it certainly does - it tells em all that they can run and hide but, the next time they come up for air.... they're gonna get caught and face having the book thrown at em.

Don't do the crime if you aren't prepared to do the time!

 

[geo]

Hmmm.... there was a US army deserter who had found refuge in North Korea for umpteen years - had asked to be repatriated when his Japanese wife was returned to Japan.

If memory serves me right, he was received, given a uniform, went thru a court martial, did some "light" time and is now living in Japan with his wife - a lady that had been kidnaped by the North Koreans umpteen years ago.

and he was in his 60s

 

[Sheerin]

Considering the number of desertions / AWLs that the US Forces are experiencing right now.... yes it certainly does - it tells em all that they can run and hide but, the next time they come up for air.... they're gonna get caught and face having the book thrown at em.

I think the big difference between today and when this individual deserted was that the soliders of today willingly joined the US forces, whereas its possible that Allen Abney was drafted.  Of course I haven't been able to find confirmation of this from various news sources, but it does stand to reason that he was a draftee.  

 

[geo]

Sheerin,
You are correct, Abney may have been a draftee BUT, for the people of today.... it doesn't matter one bit.
The exemplary value of hauling in some guy who'se been on the lamb for 35 years will make the newbies think twice before going over the fence.

 

[the 48th regulator]

I think the big difference between today and when this individual deserted was that the soliders of today willingly joined the US forces, whereas its possible that Allen Abney was drafted.  Of course I haven't been able to find confirmation of this from various news sources, but it does stand to reason that he was a draftee. 

And that exonerates his crime?

dileas

tess

 

[George Wallace]

I think the big difference between today and when this individual deserted was that the soliders of today willingly joined the US forces, whereas its possible that Allen Abney was drafted.  Of course I haven't been able to find confirmation of this from various news sources, but it does stand to reason that he was a draftee.  

Whether he volunteered or was Drafted, isn't relevant.  What is relevant is that he Deserted.  Unless of course, it is in your opinion, OK for a Draftee to Desert, and not a Volunteer?

 

[Bart Nikodem]

some guy who'se been on the lamb for 35 years

italics mine for emphasis.
Was that a dig at what people in interior BC do for fun?
All the best,
Bart

 

[GO!!!]

Hopefully he likes Kansas  >

Maybe once we purge this country of the rest of the US army deserters, (by pushing them accross the border into the waiting arms of the US MPs), we can tear down the memorial built to them in BC....

Ah, there I go, dreaming again..

 

[Sheerin]

Whether he volunteered or was Drafted, isn't relevant.  What is relevant is that he Deserted.  Unless of course, it is in your opinion, OK for a Draftee to Desert, and not a Volunteer?

Well at the time, no it would be wrong to desert however it’s been 40 years and making an example out of him would be a miscarriage of justice. 

Also what comes into play is the 1977 Presidential Pardon signed by Jimmy Carter that gave amnesty to all draft dodgers, of course in this case I suspect it would be argued that since he left after being sworn in he's not eligible for that
pardon.

 

[George Wallace]

Well at the time, no it would be wrong to desert however it’s been 40 years and making an example out of him would be a miscarriage of justice. 

I have already asked, you about the 40 years.  By this logic, do you think that we should stop hunting down War Criminals also?

 

[old medic]

Gentlemen,

There seems to be a lot of speculation going on in this thread.
Abney was a Canadian and had been since 1959. He holds dual citizenship.
He went and enlisted in 1968.

Reference:
http://www.cnw.ca/en/releases/archive/March2006/11/c1286.html
Press release by the War Resisters Support Campaign 

 

[GO!!!]

Well at the time, no it would be wrong to desert however it’s been 40 years and making an example out of him would be a miscarriage of justice. 

Great!!

So if  you betray the nation of your birth, and successfully play hide and seek for a prescribed amount of time, you go free!

Bull S***.

Why not put such stupid rules in place for all cimes? Rape, Murder, why not? Perhaps we can have a whole generation of degenerates use our nation as refuge until their crimes are no longer punishable. Then people like you could snivel at how it would be a "miscarriage of justice" to punish them, as they so richly deserve.

This guy should be made an example of, as we have modern day US army deserters here right now, they should know that their future holds nothing but pain - no matter how long they wait.

What type of man deserts their national military in a time of war?

 

[Sheerin]

I have already asked, you about the 40 years.  Do you think that we should stop hunting down War Criminals also, by this logic?

Sorry I forgot to reply to that in an eariler message.

No, absolutely not.  That’s like comparing apples and oranges.  It’s like with criminal offenses some have a statue of limitation while others, like ones that are considered incredibly heinous, do not.  This analogue is about as apt as comparing a kid shoplifting penny candy to a murderer.  In this case this grandfather made a decision to leave the armed forces, War Criminals plotted and planned the deaths, in some cases, millions of individuals (especially when you talk about Nazi's).  

And as someone just pointed out, he enlisted, therefore I withdraw my argument.