This happens all the time and is called desertion.
this post was submitted on 15 May 2025
19 points (95.2% liked)
AskHistorians
1027 readers
1 users here now
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
It can be hard to start over in a new place when you don't speak the language or have any ties. You might be killed by locals if they think you're a spy. If your army caught you, they would have you killed.
Lets say WW2 and we free France what prevents me from saying fuck this I am staying in France where they at least used to love Americans?
in France where they at least used to love Americans?
I don't think this is accurate also after what US troops did in France post normandy... this is tone deaf
Back the train up yes I am US went to school in US and never even heard about Troops doing messed up things. I mean no sarcasm in this btw. Can you provide some links on what you are referring to?
Hey Dude or Dudette I just got around to reading this. Sorry for the late reply. How come GI's did this? Also if I was going to live there wouldn't it be up to me to kick the ever living day lights out of the men commiting this? What I meant was maybe get a house home or whatever. For pretty cheap since France was bombed to shit. Fix it up grow a decent garden and maybe open up a free for all farmers market?
Assuming your service ended at that point and you were free to leave, it'd certainly be easier than deserting into enemy territory. France just after WW2 was pretty war-torn and full of refugees, so it wouldn't have been the easiest place to live for the first several years at least.
there is the urban legend of Lichtenstein sending 80 soldiers to war and 81 soldiers returned
One of them was pregnant?
no, a friend acquired
Depends on the time period, the war, and how culturally related the locale is. Retribution by their former employers, and hostility from the locals, were generally major concerns.
Didn't the news have a story not that long ago about that one US solider who went into North Korea? I swear didn't happen that long ago. I think they kicked him out anyway, but I wonder what he's doing now.
but I wonder what he's doing now.
Back in the US facing child porn charges.