Private Eddie D. Slovik

In Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five, Vonnegut mentions Private Eddie D. Slovik. Private Eddie D. Slovik was drafted to war and like many people, did not want to be there. Not all people are “cut out for combat”. Some people are physically not strong enough to be a soldier and then on the other hand, some people are not strong enough mentally to be a soldier. Private Eddie D. Slovik was on his way to France when his platoon assigned and then him and his friend, John Tankey, took cover because of an artillery attack and they became separated from their group. Tankey wrote to their regiment to explain how they were late and everything was okay. The next morning, Private Slovik realized that he “was not cut out for combat” so he decided to write a letter to Captain Ralph Grotte and tell him he was too scared to be in the rifle company and was asked to be reassigned. When the Captain said no, the next day Slovik was gone. When he approached an enlisted cook after walking several miles, he gave the cook his note. After Slovik refused to rip up the note, he was brought before the Lieutenant Colonel and when he still refused, he was forced to write he understands the consequences of deliberately incriminating himself and he would get a court martial. The execution was by a firing squad and he claimed it was not because of him deserting his country, it was because he stole a piece of bread when he was 12.
Private Eddie D. Slovik was mentioned in Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughter-House- Five because Vonnegut was trying to make a point that not all people are strong enough to be a soldier. Private Slovik ran away because he was not strong enough and he was scared. Vonnegut was making a point that people have to go to war no matter how they feel about the war. They can completely dispise the fact that there is war and they still have to go.