List of individuals executed by the United States military

Last updated

The following is a list of individuals executed by the United States military.

Contents

Executions by the Army during World War II and postwar

The United States Army carried out 141 [1] executions over a three-year period from 1942 to 1945 and a further six executions were conducted during the postwar period, for a known total of 147. [2]

Of these 141 wartime executions, 70 were carried out in the European Theatre, 27 in the Mediterranean Theatre, 21 in the Southwest Pacific Area, 19 in the continental United States, two in Hawaii, one in Guadalcanal and one in India; of the six postwar executions, one took place in Hawaii, one in Japan, two in France and two in the Philippines. An execution was also carried out by the United States Air Force in Japan in 1950.

All executions carried out by the Army from 1942 to 1948 were performed under the authority of the Articles of War of June 4, 1920, an Act of Congress which governed military justice between 1920 and 1951.

This list includes members of the United States Army Air Forces, which was a part of the Army until September 18, 1947 when it became independent. Executions by the United States Air Force after 1947 are listed separately.

With the exception of Eddie Slovik, who was shot for desertion, all of these soldiers were executed for murder and/or rape. Several of the soldiers listed as convicted and executed for murder and/or rape had also been convicted of other charges, including those of a military nature such as desertion and mutiny, plus lesser crimes that would not have been considered capital unless combined with more serious offenses which carried the death penalty.

Sources for list in References section.

Executed personDate of executionLocationMethod
James Rowe6 November 1942 Fort Huachuca, Arizona Hanging
Edward J. Leonski 9 November 1942 Pentridge Prison, Melbourne, Australia, Southwest Pacific Area Hanging
Jerry Sykes19 January 1943 Fort Huachuca, Arizona Hanging
David Cobb12 March 1943 Shepton Mallet, United Kingdom, European Theater Hanging
George S. Knapp19 March 1943 Bastrop, Texas Hanging
Francis A. Line26 March 1943 Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona Hanging
Harold A. Smith25 June 1943 Shepton Mallet, United Kingdom, European Theater Hanging
James E. Kendrick17 July 1943 Oran, Algeria, North African Theater of Operations **Hanging
Levi Brandon26 July 1943 Fort Leavenworth, Kansas Hanging
Walter J. Bohn6 August 1943 Camp Claiborne, Louisiana, United States Hanging
Willie A. Pittman30 August 1943 Sicily, Mediterranean Theatre of World War II **Hanging
Harvey Stroud30 August 1943 Sicily, Mediterranean Theatre of World War II **Hanging
Armstead White30 August 1943 Sicily, Mediterranean Theatre of World War II **Hanging
David White30 August 1943 Sicily, Mediterranean Theatre of World War II **Hanging
Charles H. Smith6 September 1943 Algiers, North African Theater of Operations **Hanging
Lee A. Davis14 December 1943 Shepton Mallet, United Kingdom, European Theater **Hanging
Edwin P. Jones5 January 1944 Oran, Algeria, North African Theater of Operations Hanging
John H. Waters10 February 1944 Shepton Mallet, United Kingdom, European Theater **Hanging
J.C. Leatherberry16 March 1944 Shepton Mallet, United Kingdom, European Theater **Hanging
Charles A. Spears18 April 1944 Italy, Mediterranean Theatre of World War II **Hanging
Wiley Harris, Jr.26 May 1944 Shepton Mallet, United Kingdom, European Theater **Hanging
Alex F. Miranda30 May 1944 Shepton Mallet, United Kingdom, European Theater **E Firing squad
Robert L. Donnelly31 May 1944 Italy, Mediterranean Theatre of World War II **Hanging
Eliga Brinson11 August 1944 Shepton Mallet, United Kingdom, European Theater **Hanging
Willie Smith11 August 1944 Shepton Mallet, United Kingdom, European Theater **Hanging
Clarence Whitfield14 August 1944 Normandy, France, European Theater **Hanging
Ray Watson29 August 1944 Italy. Mediterranean Theatre of World War II **Hanging
James W. Peoples2 September 1944 Oro Bay, New Guinea, Southwest Pacific Area Hanging
Harry Bever26 September 1944 Fort Sill, Oklahoma Hanging
Arthur T. Brown2 October 1944 Oro Bay, New Guinea, Southwest Pacific Area Hanging
Andrew Gibson2 October 1944 Oro Bay, New Guinea, Southwest Pacific Area Hanging
Leroy E. Greene2 October 1944 Oro Bay, New Guinea, Southwest Pacific Area Hanging
Charles A. Horne2 October 1944 Oro Bay, New Guinea, Southwest Pacific Area Hanging
Eugene A. Washington, Jr.2 October 1944 Oro Bay, New Guinea, Southwest Pacific Area Hanging
Lloyd L. White, Jr.2 October 1944 Oro Bay, New Guinea, Southwest Pacific Area Hanging
Madison Thomas12 October 1944 Shepton Mallet, United Kingdom, European Theater **Hanging
James B. Sanders25 October 1944 European Theater **Hanging
Ray W. Anderson25 October 1944 European Theater **Hanging
Paul Kluxdal31 October 1944 European Theater **Hanging
Willie Wimberly, Jr.9 November 1944 European Theater **Hanging
Joseph Watson9 November 1944 European Theater **Hanging
Aveline Fernandez15 November 1944 Oro Bay, New Guinea, Southwest Pacific Area Hanging
Curtis L. Maxey16 November 1944 Aversa, Italy, Mediterranean Theatre of World War II **Hanging
Richard Scott18 November 1944 European Theater **Hanging
William D. Pennyfather18 November 1944 European Theater **Hanging
Theron McGann20 November 1944 European Theater Hanging
Arthur E. Davis22 November 1944 European Theater **Hanging
Charles H. Jordan22 November 1944 European Theater **Hanging
James E. Hendricks24 November 1944 Normandy, France, European Theater **Hanging
Benjamin Pygate28 November 1944 Shepton Mallet, United Kingdom, European Theater **Firing squad
Oscar N. Newman29 November 1944 European Theater **Hanging
Leo Valentine, Sr.29 November 1944 European Theater **Hanging
Charles Williams18 December 1944 United States Hanging
William E. Davis27 December 1944 European Theater **Hanging
Waiter J. Baldwin17 January 1945 European Theater **Hanging
Sylvester Davis5 January 1945 Randolph Air Force Base, Texas Hanging
Augustine Guerra8 January 1945 Shepton Mallet, United Kingdom, European Theater **Hanging
Ernest L. Clark8 January 1945 Shepton Mallet, United Kingdom, European Theater **Hanging
John D. Cooper9 January 1945 European Theater **Hanging
John R. O'Connor15 January 1945 Fort Benning, Georgia Hanging
Arthur J. Farrell19 January 1945 European Theater **Hanging
James W. Twiggs22 January 1945 European Theater **Hanging
Samuel Hawthorne29 January 1945 Oro Bay, New Guinea, Southwest Pacific Area Hanging
Marvin Holden30 January 1945 Lemur, Belgium **Hanging
Elwood J. Spencer30 January 1945 Lemur, Belgium **Hanging
Eddie Slovik 31 January 1945 Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, France, European Theater **Firing squad
J.P. Wilson2 February 1945 European Theater **Hanging
Robert L. Skinner10 February 1945 European Theater **Hanging
Yancy Waiters10 February 1945 European Theater **Hanging
William Mack15 February 1945 European Theater **Hanging
Otis B. Crews21 February 1945 Mediterranean Theater **Hanging
Williams C. Downes28 February 1945 European Theater **Hanging
Amos Agee3 March 1945 European Theater **Hanging
John C. Smith3 March 1945 European Theater **Hanging
Frank Watson3 March 1945 European Theater **Hanging
Olins W. Williams9 March 1945 European Theater **Hanging
Lee A. Burns11 March 1945 Aversa, Italy, Mediterranean Theatre of World War II **Hanging
General L. Grant11 March 1945 Italy, Mediterranean Theatre of World War II **Hanging
Herman Perry 15 March 1945 Ledo, Assam, India Hanging
Robert L. Pearson17 March 1945 Shepton Mallet, United Kingdom, European Theater **Hanging
Cubia (Parson) Jones17 March 1945 Shepton Mallet, United Kingdom, European Theater **Hanging
Henry Baker18 March 1945 Philippines Hanging
John M. Mack20 March 1945 Italy, Mediterranean Theatre of World War II **Hanging
John W. Taylor20 March 1945 Italy, Mediterranean Theatre of World War II **Hanging
Kinney Jones20 March 1945 Italy, Mediterranean Theatre of World War II **Hanging
Robert A. Pearson20 March 1945 Guadalcanal Hanging
Abraham Smalls27 March 1945 Mediterranean Theatre of World War II **Hanging
Tommie Davison29 March 1945 European Theater **Hanging
William Harrison, Jr.7 April 1945 Shepton Mallet, United Kingdom, European Theater **Hanging
Curn Jones10 April 1945 Fort Benning, Georgia Hanging
Benjamin F. Hopper11 April 1945 European Theater **Hanging
Dan Boswell16 April 1945 Camp Bowie, Texas Hanging
James L. Jones19 April 1945 European Theater **Hanging
Mileert Bailey19 April 1945 European Theater **Hanging
John Williams19 April 1945 European Theater **Hanging
William T. Curry20 April 1945 Oro Bay, New Guinea, Southwest Pacific Area Hanging
Shelton McGhee, Sr.4 May 1945 Mediterranean Theatre of World War II **Hanging
George E. Smith, Jr.8 May 1945 Shepton Mallet, United Kingdom, European Theater **Hanging
George Green, Jr.15 May 1945 European Theater **Hanging
Haze Heard21 May 1945 European Theater **Hanging
William McCarter28 May 1945 European Theater **Hanging
Clete O. Norris31 May 1945 European Theater **Hanging
Alvery R. Rollins31 May 1945 European Theater **Hanging
Matthew Clay, Jr.4 June 1945 European Theater **Hanging
Werner E. Schmiedel11 June 1945 Mediterranean Theatre of World War II **Hanging
Ancieto Martinez15 June 1945 Shepton Mallet, United Kingdom, European Theater **Hanging
Victor Ortiz *21 June 1945 European Theatre Hanging
Willie Johnson26 June 1945 European Theater **Hanging
Fred A. McMurray2 July 1945 Italy, Mediterranean Theatre of World War II **Hanging
Louis Till 2 July 1945 Italy, Mediterranean Theatre of World War II **Hanging
Charles H. Jefferies5 July 1945 Italy, Mediterranean Theatre of World War II **Hanging
John T. Jones5 July 1945 Italy, Mediterranean Theatre of World War II **Hanging
Henry W. Nelson5 July 1945 Italy, Mediterranean Theatre of World War II **Hanging
Tom E. Gordon10 July 1945 European Theater **Hanging
Harold Crabtree31 July 1945 Philippines Firing squad
Cornelius Thomas1 August 1945 Schofield Barracks, Hawai'i Hanging
Jesse D. Boston1 August 1945 Schofield Barracks, Hawai'i Firing squad
Robert Davidson6 August 1945 Green Haven Correctional Facility, New York Firing squad
Ernest J. Harris9 August 1945 Philippines Hanging
Lee R. Davis14 August 1945 Fort Sill, Oklahoma Hanging
Herbert W. Reid14 August 1945 Camp Beale, California Hanging
Clinton Stevenson14 August 1945 Camp Beale, California Hanging
Ellis McCloud, Jr.20 August 1945 Philippines Hanging
Robert Wray20 August 1945 European Theater **Hanging
Edward J. Reichl22 August 1945 United States Disciplinary Barracks, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas Hanging
Harvey W. Nichols28 August 1945 Philippines Hanging
Albert Williams28 August 1945 Philippines Hanging
Bradley Walters, Jr.31 August 1945 Philippines Hanging
Henry C. Philpot10 September 1945 European Theater **Hanging
Fred Hurse20 September 1945 United States Hanging
Clarence Gibson24 September 1945 United States Firing squad
James C.Thomas25 September 1945 Philippines Hanging
Charles M. Robinson28 September 1945 European Theater **Hanging
Blake W. Mariano10 October 1945 European Theater **Hanging
Sidney Bennerman15 October 1945 European Theater **Firing squad
Woodrow Parker15 October 1945 European Theater **Firing squad
Ozell Louis15 October 1945 Philippines Hanging
Charlie Ervin, Jr.19 October 1945 Italy, Mediterranean Theatre of World War II **Firing squad
Mansfield Spinks19 October 1945 Italy, Mediterranean Theatre of World War II **Firing squad
Dan J. Lee9 November 1945 Philippines Firing squad
Ellsworth Williams5 January 1946 Germany, European Theater **Hanging
Solomon Thompson11 September 1946 European Theater Hanging
Garlon Mickles22 April 1947 Schofield Barracks, Hawai'i Hanging
James Norman25 April 1947 Philippines Hanging
William Abney1 December 1947 Mandaluyong, Philippines Hanging
Manuel Martinez23 April 1948 European Theater Hanging
Stratman Armistead16 December 1948 Nakano, Japan, Far East Command Hanging

Plot E

The US Army executed 98 servicemen following General Courts Martial (GCM) for murder and/or rape in the European Theatre of Operations during the Second World War. The remains of these servicemen were originally buried near the site of their executions, which took place in countries as far apart as England, France, Belgium, Germany, Italy and Algeria. In 1949 the remains of these men and a few others were re-interred in Plot E, a private section specifically built to hold what the Graves Registration referred to as "the dishonorable dead", since (per standard practice) all had been dishonorably discharged from the US Army just prior to their executions.

Plot "E" is detached from the main four cemetery plots for the honored dead of World War I at the Oise-Aisne American Cemetery and Memorial. [3] It is located across the road, and deliberately hidden from view, inside a 100' x 50' oval-shaped clearing surrounded by hedges and hidden in thick forest. Officially, Plot E does not exist: it is not mentioned on the ABMC website or in any guide pamphlets or maps. The plot is accessible only through the back door of the superintendent's office. [4] Access is difficult and visitors are not encouraged, though the section is maintained by cemetery caretakers who periodically mow the lawn area and trim the hedges. One cemetery employee described Plot E as "a house of shame" and "a perfect anti-memorial". [5] Today Plot E contains nothing but 96 flat stone markers (arranged in four rows) and a single small granite cross. The white grave markers are the size of index cards and have nothing on them except sequential grave numbers engraved in black. Two bodies were later disinterred and allowed to be returned to United States for reburial.

No US flag is permitted to fly over the section, and the numbered graves lie with their backs turned to the main cemetery on the other side of the road. [6]

Three of the individuals buried in Plot E were not executed: Willie Hall, Joseph J. Mahoney and William N. Lucas, who all died while in military custody.

The only person interred who was not convicted of rape and/or murder was Eddie Slovik, who was executed for desertion on 31 January 1945. In 1987, President Ronald Reagan gave permission for Slovik's remains to be exhumed and returned to the United States for reburial. [7] The remains of Alex F. Miranda were exhumed and returned to the United States in 1990.

Executions of German POWs during World War II

In 1945, the United States Army executed fourteen German prisoners of war by hanging at the United States Disciplinary Barracks, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

These POWs, members of the German Armed services, had been convicted by general court-martial for the murders of fellow Germans believed by their fellow inmates to be collaborating as confidential informants with the United States military authorities.

While the murders had been committed in 1943 and 1944, the executions were delayed until after the end of hostilities in Europe due to fears of German retaliation against Allied POWs.

The hangings were carried out in a warehouse elevator shaft which had been converted into a temporary gallows, and the fourteen Germans were subsequently buried in the Fort Leavenworth Military Prison Cemetery. [8]

Executed personAgeDate of ExecutionName of victim
Walter Beyer3210 July 1945 Johannes Kunze
Hans Demme2310 July 1945Johannes Kunze
Hans Schomer2710 July 1945Johannes Kunze
Willie Scholz2210 July 1945Johannes Kunze
Berthold Seidel3010 July 1945Johannes Kunze
Erich Gauss14 July 1945 Horst Günther
Rudolph Straub14 July 1945Horst Günther
Helmut Fischer25 August 1945 Werner Drechsler
Fritz Franke25 August 1945Werner Drechsler
Günter Külsen25 August 1945Werner Drechsler
Heinrich Ludwig25 August 1945Werner Drechsler
Bernhard Reyak25 August 1945Werner Drechsler
Otto Stengel25 August 1945Werner Drechsler
Rolf Wizny25 August 1945Werner Drechsler

Executions by the United States Air Force

The United States Air Force executed three airmen by hanging between 1950 and 1954. The execution of Robert E. Keller was conducted under the authority of the 1920 Articles of War, and those of Burns and Dennis Jr. were carried out under a short-lived revised version of the Articles of War popularly known as the Elston Act of 1948.

Executed personDate of executionLocationCrime
Robert E. Keller11 March 1950 Nakano, Japan First degree murder
Robert W. Burns28 January 1954 Guam First degree murder and first degree rape
Herman P. Dennis, Jr.28 January 1954 Guam First degree murder and first degree rape

Executions under the Uniform Code of Military Justice

A total of ten military executions have been carried out by the United States Army under the provisions of the original Uniform Code of Military Justice of 5 May 1950. The first four of these executions, those of Bernard J. O'Brien, Chastine Beverly, Louis M. Suttles and James L. Riggins, were carried out by military officials at the Kansas State Penitentiary near Lansing, Kansas. The remaining six executions took place in the boiler room of the United States Disciplinary Barracks, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Hanging and not shooting was the method employed in these ten executions.

Executed personDate of sentencingDate of executionCrime
Bernard J. O'Brien19 June 195231 July 1954First Degree Murder
Chastine Beverly10 October 19511 March 1955Robbery, First Degree Murder
Louis M. Suttles10 October 19511 March 1955Robbery, First Degree Murder
James L. Riggins10 October 19511 March 1955Robbery, First Degree Murder
Thomas J. Edwards1 April 195314 February 1957First Degree Murder
Winfred D. Moore19 August 195314 February 1957First Degree Murder, Assault with intent to commit Robbery
Ernest L. Ranson5 June 19533 April 1957Lifting weapon against superior officer, First Degree murder, First Degree Rape, Robbery, 2 counts of Assault with dangerous weapon
Abraham Thomas15 April 195423 July 1958Four counts First Degree Murder
John E. Day, Jr.1 October 195123 September 1959First Degree Murder, Aggravated Assault with attempt to do bodily harm with dangerous weapon, Assault
John A. Bennett 8 February 195513 April 1961First Degree Child Rape, First Degree Attempted Murder

Individuals currently awaiting execution under the UCMJ

Five individuals are currently awaiting execution under the UCMJ. All executions, if carried out, will be by lethal injection.

Sentenced personDate of sentencingCrime
Ronald A. Gray 12 April 1988Two specifications of both Rape (U.C.M.J. Article 120) and Premeditated Murder (U.C.M.J. Article 118(1))
Hasan Karim Akbar 28 April 2005Two specifications of Premeditated Murder (U.C.M.J. Article 118(1))
Timothy B. Hennis 15 April 2010Three specifications of Premeditated Murder (U.C.M.J. Article 118(1)), one specification of Rape (U.C.M.J. Article 120)
Nidal Malik Hasan 28 August 2013 Thirteen specifications of Premeditated Murder (U.C.M.J. Article 118(1))

    Executions by the United States Navy

    The United States Navy has executed seventeen sailors and Marines for various offenses; the most famous of these were three crew members of the USS Somers who were hanged for conspiracy to mutiny.

    As of 2020, no member of the Navy has been executed since October 23, 1849, when brothers John and Peter Black were simultaneously hanged at yardarm for leading a mutiny on board the schooner Ewing. [9]

    The United States Navy executed fourteen Japanese military personnel by hanging for war crimes on Guam after the Second World War.

    Related Research Articles

    Eddie Slovik United States Army soldier

    Edward Donald Slovik was a United States Army soldier during World War II and the only American soldier to be court-martialled and executed for desertion since the American Civil War. Although over 21,000 American soldiers were given varying sentences for desertion during World War II, including 49 death sentences, Slovik's death sentence was the only one that was carried out.

    Mutiny is a criminal conspiracy among a group of people to openly oppose, change, or overthrow a lawful authority to which they are subject. The term is commonly used for a rebellion among members of the military against their superior officers, but it can also occasionally refer to any type of rebellion against lawful authority or governances.

    Execution by firing squad Method of execution by multiple shooters firing rifles simultaneously on command

    Execution by firing squad, in the past sometimes called fusillading, is a method of capital punishment, particularly common in the military and in times of war. Execution by shooting is a fairly old practice. Some reasons for its use are that firearms are usually readily available and a gunshot to a vital organ, such as brain or heart, usually kills relatively quickly.

    Capital punishment is a legal penalty under the United States federal government criminal justice system.

    United States Disciplinary Barracks Military correction facility in Fort Leavenworth, KS

    The United States Disciplinary Barracks is a military correctional facility located on Fort Leavenworth, a United States Army post in Kansas.

    Desertion crime of abandoning a military duty or post without permission

    In the military, desertion is the abandonment of a duty or post without permission and is done with the intention of not returning. This contrasts with unauthorized absence (UA) or absence without leave, which are temporary forms of absence.

    Anton Dostler German general

    Anton Dostler was a General of the Infantry who was executed at the end of World War II for war crimes. He was shot by a United States Army firing squad after being found guilty of murdering American POWs during the Italian Campaign in 1944. Dostler was convicted in the first Allied war crimes trials to be held after the end of the war in Europe.

    Capital punishment in Canada dates back to Canada's earliest history, including its period as a French colony and, after 1763, its time as a British colony. From 1867 to the elimination of the death penalty for murder on July 14, 1976, 1,481 people had been sentenced to death, and 710 had been executed. Of those executed, 697 were men and 13 were women. The only method used in Canada for capital punishment of civilians after the end of the French regime was hanging. The last execution in Canada was the double hanging of Arthur Lucas and Ronald Turpin on December 11, 1962, at Toronto's Don Jail.

    Oise-Aisne American Cemetery and Memorial cemetery located in Aisne, in France

    The Oise-Aisne American Cemetery and Memorial is an American military cemetery in northern France. Plots A through D contains the graves of 6,012 American soldiers who died while fighting in this vicinity during World War I, 597 of which were not identified, as well as a monument for 241 Americans who were missing in action during battles in the same area and whose remains were never recovered. Included among the soldiers here who lost their lives is poet Joyce Kilmer.

    <i>The Execution of Private Slovik</i> 1974 television film directed by Lamont Johnson

    The Execution of Private Slovik is a nonfiction book by William Bradford Huie, published in 1954, and an American made-for-television movie that aired on NBC on March 13, 1974. The film was written for the screen by Richard Levinson, William Link and by Lamont Johnson who was the director, the film stars Martin Sheen, and also features Charlie Sheen in his second film in a small role.

    Fort Leavenworth Military Prison Cemetery American prison cemetery

    Fort Leavenworth Military Prison Cemetery is a cemetery maintained by the Fort Leavenworth Military Prison, Leavenworth County, Kansas. The purpose of this cemetery is for the burial of unclaimed bodies of soldiers who died in the United States Disciplinary Barracks. It is the final resting place for 298 soldiers who died in the prison, 58 of which lie in unmarked graves. The majority of the soldiers who are buried in Fort Leavenworth Military Prison Cemetery died between 1898 and 1905. The last known burial in the cemetery was in 1957, ten years after the one preceding it. Since families are expected to claim the bodies, the U.S. military does not have any plan for future burials.

    Capital punishment is a legal penalty under the U.S. military criminal justice system.

    Victor Manson Spencer was a volunteer from Invercargill, New Zealand who fought in the Otago Infantry Regiment of the New Zealand Division in World War I. Spencer was executed for desertion on 24 February 1918, despite later suggestions that he was severely traumatised by shellshock, having fought and survived several campaigns.

    Fort Wolters

    Fort Wolters was a United States military installation four miles northeast of Mineral Wells, Texas. Originally named Camp Wolters, it was an Army camp from 1925 to 1946. During World War II, it was for a time the largest infantry replacement training center in the United States.

    Execution by shooting method of execution

    Execution by shooting is a method of capital punishment in which a person is shot to death by one or more firearms. It is the most common method of execution worldwide, used in about 70 countries, with execution by firing squad being one particular form.

    Capital punishment remained in Polish law until April 1, 1997, but from 1989 there was a moratorium on executions, with the last execution taking place one year earlier. The death penalty is now prohibited in Poland for all offences.

    Johannes Kunze German soldier

    Wilhelm Reinhold Johannes Kunze was a German World War II prisoner of war (POW) held at Camp Tonkawa, Oklahoma. He was a Gefreiter in the Afrika Korps. Following a trial before a kangaroo court on November 4, 1943, he was beaten to death by fellow POWs for being a traitor and there was very strong evidence that Kunze had indeed been spying for the Americans. The unmasking of Kunze happened by accident: he had been in the habit of passing notes to the American doctor at the camp during sick call. These notes contained useful information regarding the activities of various POWs in the camp, some of whom were loyal Nazis. One day a new American doctor was on duty who did not know about Kunze's role as spy and who could not speak German. When Kunze handed over his note, the American doctor accidentally blew Kunze's cover by sending it back via another POW, who read the incriminating note and quickly realised that Kunze was a spy. News of this discovery spread quickly and soon afterwards Kunze was killed inside the camp by his fellow POWs. He is buried in the Fort Reno prisoner of war cemetery.

    Oise-Aisne American Cemetery Plot E Wikimedia list article

    The Oise-Aisne American Cemetery Plot E is the fifth plot at the Oise-Aisne American Cemetery and Memorial, an American military cemetery in northern France that comprises four main burial plots containing the remains of 6,012 service personnel, all of whom died during World War I.

    References

    1. https://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/pdf/investigations.pdf
    2. US Army deserter Karl Hultén was executed 8 March 1945 for a 1944 murder of an English Cab driver; however he was tried and executed under English Law-not the US Military Justice Cleft chin murder
    3. American Battle Monuments Commission: Oise-Aisne American Cemetery Official Website, As of June 22, 2009
    4. "Bing Maps – Driving Directions, Traffic and Road Conditions". Binged.it. 2015-03-04. Retrieved 2015-04-24.
    5. Kaplan, Alice. The Interpreter. Free Press: New York, 2005. 172–3.
    6. Huie, William Bradford.The Execution of Private Slovik. Westholme: Yardley, 1954. 4–7.
    7. Huie, William Bradford. "The Execution of Private Slovik". Westholme Publishing, 2004. ISBN   1-59416-003-1
    8. Fort Leavenworth Military Prison cemetery
    9. Details of the mutiny

    Sources

    Information on listed military executions between 1942 and 1961 has been primarily derived from the following sources. Research on these executions continues.

    1. A handwritten list, Executed Death Cases Before 1951, discovered at The Pentagon in December 2003. The list is only partially legible and must therefore be used with some caution. The linked public version of this list is quite truncated, thereby omitting a great deal of useful information about these cases. The supplemental addendum, Death Sentence Ledger, tracks military capital cases between 1950 and 1967.
    2. Two tables of U.S. Soldiers executed during World War II's European Theater and Pacific Theater may be found on Before the Needle
    3. The U.S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939–1945 (payment required) contains the names of many American servicemen executed by military authority overseas. These individuals are generally identified in the Rosters as GP (or General Prisoners) and were interred under the category of Administrative Decision.
    4. The Nationwide Gravesite Locator contains the names of numerous executed soldiers, many of them listed as being General Prisoners.
    5. The U.S. Veterans Gravesites, ca.1775–2006 (payment required) contains the names of numerous executed soldiers, many of them listed as being General Prisoners.
    6. Historical archives of the Stars and Stripes Newspaper, WWII Europe and North Africa Editions, 1942–1958 (payment required) contain numerous contemporary references to military executions.
    7. Death Penalty Cases in WWII Military Courts: Lessons Learned from North Africa and Italy, a paper written by Professor J. Robert Lilly of the School of Law, Northern Kentucky University, and Associate Professor J. Michael Thomson of the Political Science Department Northern Kentucky University, and presented at the 41st Annual Meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences March 10–13, 2004. Las Vegas, NV, contains statistical information on 97 executions carried out in the European Theatre and the Mediterranean Theatre of World War II. It does not appear to be available online at this time.
    8. Taken by Force, by J. Robert Lilly, ( ISBN   0-230-50647-X) published by Palgrave Macmillan in August 2007, discusses crimes of sexual violence committed by American soldiers in the Second World War. It contains numerous references to military capital cases during this period.
    9. Official File, Court Martial Cases, Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, contains information on sentence confirmation dates of soldiers executed for capital crimes within the continental United States between 1942 and 1945.
    10. Official File, Court Martial Cases, Harry Truman Museum and Library, contains information on sentence confirmation dates of soldiers and members of the Air Force executed between 1945 and 1954.
    11. History of the JAG Branch Office, U.S. Forces, European Theater, 18 July 1942 to 1 Nov. 1945: n.a., Vol. 1–2, prep. by the Branch Office of the JAG-ETO, n.p ., n.d. (1946?), contains a summary on 70 military executions carried out in the European theater between 1943 and 1945.
    12. Ted Darcy Casualty Database
    13. Subchapter X, "Punitive Articles" of the Uniform Code of Military Justice