Vietnam war deserter regrets flight to Canada in 1968 (arrested at border)

[icymist]

Tuesday, March 21, 2006 · Last updated 5:52 a.m. PT

Vietnam war deserter regrets flight to Canada in 1968

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

YAHK, British Columbia -- A Vietnam war-era deserter who was caught crossing into the United States and held for a week recently says he made a mistake when he went AWOL from the Marine Corps in 1968 and fled to Vancouver.

"When I was 18, I wasn't aware that duty and honor would mean as much to me as they do now," Allen Abney, 56, told a news conference Monday in this southeast British Columbia town.

(snip)

He had used the same crossing countless times before, but March 9 was the first time he had to show his birth certificate as identification.

When the Customs agent asked him to pull over, Abney said, he looked at his wife and said, "I'm screwed."

(more)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420AP_CAN_Deserter_Regrets.html

I betcha they'll make an example of him for anyone thinking of going to Canada to avoid this war! I also wonder how many other 'criminals' will be snatched up with the new ID requirements. Well, does anyone feel safer now that this AWOL marine from 1968 has been captured in our War On Terra?

[Radical Activist]

1. I thought they were all given amnesty?

Wasn't there some kind of general pardon issued? WTF?

[Tom Joad]

4. No, it was not "amnesty",

and they had to turn themselves in.
Neither Ford nor Carter granted universal amnesty.

See the facts here:
http://www.afsc.org/youthmil/conscientious-objection/Vietnam-war-resisters.htm

[IsItJustMe]

6. This person went AWOL from the military. The amnesty was for people who

never joined. There was a period however (very short), were people who went AWOL could have been processed out of the military without going through a court Martial.

Many of these folks, however, were distrustful of the situation and never applied.

[Tom Joad]

2. He did the right thing. Duty, honor, loyalty to humanity would mean

refusal to fight in that unjust, illegal, war.
Men who refused the war in Vietnam should be rounded up....
and given medals of valor.

And damn right they are making an example of him. This is being used to intimidate soldiers refusing the war in Iraq. Over 100 resisters are in Canada right now, awaiting word on a court case regarding asylum for a public resister.

See more here
http://tomjoad.org/resistersincanada.htm

See the list of honor here:
http://tomjoad.org/WarHeroes.htm

Refuse! Resist!

[Newsjock]

3. Secret terms of release?

I'll just bet that making this guy come out and say these things is all part of some secret deal he got to avoid being thrown in the brig for the rest of his life.

My money says he doesn't believe a word of it.

[IsItJustMe]

5. I have heard several say that would do the same damn thing all over again.

Maybe the RW msm will report on these folks someday instead of this dribble.