U.S. Military Deserters in Canada Megathread

[Devlin]

U.S. soldier seeks Canadian refugee status

Last Updated Thu, 19 Feb 2004 7:51:49

TORONTO - A U.S. soldier who is absent without leave is seeking refugee status in Canada as a conscientious objector.

Jeremy Hinzman, who faces prosecution in the U.S., left the 82nd Airborne Division in North Carolina last month and fled to Toronto with his wife and baby.

Hinzman told the Fayetteville Observer in a phone interview that he had "a romantic vision" of the army when he joined three years ago.

He said the structure of army life, complete with subsidized housing, groceries and money for education, appealed to him.

But at the start of basic training, he became disillusioned and horrified by chanting about killing during marches, shooting at targets without faces and the dehumanization of the enemy.

Hinzman applied as a conscientious objector, saying he wanted to fulfil his service obligation but not fight in combat.

His application was rejected while he was in Afghanistan.

Hinzman said he and his wife decided to flee to Toronto before he could be shipped off to Iraq.

Canada‘s Immigration and Refugee Board said none of the 268 American applicants for refugee status last year were accepted.

Sgt. Pam Smith, a spokesperson for the 82nd Airborne based at Fort Bragg, N.C., said Hinzman could be arrested in the U.S., and would be put on a national database.

But she said the army won‘t search him out.

"We don‘t have time to go and track down people who go [absent without leave]," she said. "We‘re fighting a war."

 

[Pikache]

Send the coward back.

Romantic vision my ***. He should have known what he might be doing when he signed his life away, esp. in infantry.

 

[kurokaze]

This part was interesting:

Canada‘s Immigration and Refugee Board said none of the 268 American applicants for refugee status last year were accepted.

I‘m curious what kind of claims these 268 so-called refugees filed.

But yes, from what I‘ve read he sounds like a free-loader. Hand him over to the US authorities I say.

 

[Padraig OCinnead]

How could anyone realistically claim refugee status in Canada from the USA? What grounds could he claim S_Baker? This guy sounds like a non-hacker(except for being a jumper) to me and conveniently claims CO.
Canada has let slackers like this in before and it wasn‘t right back then either. We‘ll be better off when this little girl gets escorted back to the border into the loving sympathetic arms of the MP‘s.

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

Hmmmmm, lets see...." complete with subsidized housing,grocerys and money for education, appealed to him". Sounds like he went were he could get the same things by enlisting in our "immigration army". No insult to those who came here to workand contribute. CHEERS

 

[The_Falcon]

Maj Baker, you ask why he did not go to Mexico, cause Canada has a history of allowing people to claim refugee status for pretty much whatever reason they can think off. And then our government will give them all the help and support they need until they figure out how to disappear. He is coward and an idiot, I hope we send him back.

 

[The_Falcon]

Maj Baker, you ask why he did not go to Mexico, cause Canada has a history of allowing people to claim refugee status for pretty much whatever reason they can think off. And then our government will give them all the help and support they need until they figure out how to disappear. He is coward and an idiot, I hope we send him back.

 

[Yllw_Ninja]

"But at the start of basic training, he became disillusioned and horrified by chanting about killing during marches, shooting at targets without faces and the dehumanization of the enemy."


Somebody better call this guy a WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMBULENCE! Me thinks he should have stuck with stalking shelves at Wal-Mart...now how much money did the US Army waste training this guy?

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

He was assigned to the 82nd and did not expect to fight??? Ummmm hello....

 

[Infanteer]

We are at war, he left his buddies hanging.

Hang him.

 

[Jungle]

Originally posted by Infanteer:
[qb] We are at war, he left his buddies hanging.

Hang him. [/qb]

"OLD SCHOOL, still got a piece of that rope ???"
Man, we‘re gonna be some busy on that road trip !!!

 

[OLD SCHOOL]

Won‘t waste rope on this little feller.
I say drop him at night into the mountains of Pakistan alone and tell him not to come back without Bin Laden‘s cock and balls secured in his ruck. Then he can object to whatever he wants.

 

[tree hugger]

Sorry boys, I‘m going to have to say something unpopular I‘m afraid.
This guy apparently didn‘t know what he was getting into (maybe some blame on the recruiter and himself). I hardly feel that standing up for something you believe in is being cowardly. He attempted to resolve it using proper channels and was still willing to serve in another capacity.
I can only imagine how difficult it was for him to leave his home, buddies etc., but apparently he felt very stongly about this.
I‘m a firm believer of finishing what you start and I‘m willing to concede that he should have stayed and sucked it up. No matter the research and discussion about the military you do, you don‘t really know what you‘re getting into until you are in.

 

[OLD SCHOOL]

Hang on to that tree tightly because I think you are in a mine field.

We would para some guys in to help you out but they objected and went home.

 

[Paul F]

Originally posted by tree hugger:
[qb] Sorry boys, I‘m going to have to say something unpopular I‘m afraid.
This guy apparently didn‘t know what he was getting into (maybe some blame on the recruiter and himself). I hardly feel that standing up for something you believe in is being cowardly. He attempted to resolve it using proper channels and was still willing to serve in another capacity.
I can only imagine how difficult it was for him to leave his home, buddies etc., but apparently he felt very stongly about this.
I‘m a firm believer of finishing what you start and I‘m willing to concede that he should have stayed and sucked it up. No matter the research and discussion about the military you do, you don‘t really know what you‘re getting into until you are in. [/qb]

He didn‘t know what he was getting himself into? He joined the infantry! What did he expect ... to sit on his near end the whole time he was in and do absolutely nothing? Infantrymen are the core of any military, they are the ones that do the majority of the ground fighting, it‘s absurbed for his guy to think he wouldn‘t be deployed overseas to fight when the US is fighting a 2 front war (Iraq and Afghanistan). Heck, they are calling up National Guard soldiers. Why would they be calling up National Guard soldiers to serve overseas and this scumbag thinks somehow he wasn‘t going to be deployed?

He isn‘t a coward for standing up for what he believes in, he is a coward for deserting his fellow infantrymen and his country.

He might not have known exact what he was getting himself into, but he should have at least known, especially in the infantry, that he would be deployed overseas and have to risk his life for his country. Everyone in the military‘s life is in danger overseas, each and every day, ... mechanics, cooks, infantrymen, etc. ... this guy is a waste of life for not fulfilling the duty he committed to fulfilling.

I hope Canada sends his *** back to the US and the US gives him the death penalty for betraying his country.

 

[tmbluesbflat]

Now perhaps it can be seen that which I tried to get accross in another thread. That is understand what being a soldier means, it mean that you basic function is to find, close with, and kill the enemy. You are not joining to be policemen/women you are dillusional if you have that impression. That said, other requirements may arise, aid to civil power Ie: firefighting, flood and other diaster relief, good on you! However the reality is you are trained to kill! If you chose to be a soldier then bloody well get good at it!!!!!

 

[sgt_mandal]

[qb]

Originally posted by tree hugger:
I hope Canada sends his *** back to the US and the US gives him the death penalty for betraying his country. [/qb]

I agree with what you all are saying, but don‘t yout think the death penalty is a bit of an easy way out for this guy?

 

[Padraig OCinnead]

Sorry tree hugger, but you could not be anymore wrong. I won‘t get into the ways that you are wrong but I will say that this guy broke his word. He has no honour. He is a scurvy little dog.

Just saw that his lawyer is another little scurvy dog who ran away from his duty to serve when called upon by the US Govt during the Vietnam war. Birds of a feather...

 

[tree hugger]

Sgt. Mandel - watch the use quotes button...I didn‘t say that....

 

[The_Falcon]

I just saw this little weeny on Global news, he looks like a coward and weak piece of crap. Global went on to show US soldiers doing training and they highlighted the stuff he did not like ie all the stuff bout killing. Well he is my town and now I know what the little puke looks like, maybe I should hunt his *** down and hand him over to states. Major Baker are there bounties on Deserters?