Eddie Slovik

Pvt. Eddie Slovik, the only U.S. soldier executed for desertion since the Civil War, finally came home from France on Friday after 42 years and an airlines mistake that sent his remains to San Francisco. The whereabouts of the black box containing Slovik's bones was a mystery most of Thursday night as it headed to San Francisco aboard a jetliner, unknown to TWA officials. "It's just a matter of lost luggage," an airline spokesman said. "We've misplaced the thing somewhere."

I received the following e-mail Monday from Tommy Trojan: "Fellow Trojans and Supporters of the Cause ... thank you for all of your help." Well, I've done what I could, of course, with no "thank you" really necessary in getting the Trojans this far. And while it's true, miserable duty calls first, and I'm off to San Jose today to spend time with the Bruins at the Silicon Valley waste of time -- I'm only doing it so I can say I know what...

A clutch of tiny U.S. flags and a spray of red, white and blue flowers lay atop the coffin Saturday as Pvt. Eddie Slovik, the only U.S. soldier executed for desertion since the Civil War, was buried in American soil. About 45 relatives, friends and compassionate strangers stood under a hot sun as Slovik's remains were laid to rest next to those of his wife, Antoinette, in a Roman Catholic burial rite conducted in English and Polish. Mrs.

A clutch of tiny U.S. flags and a spray of red, white and blue flowers lay atop the coffin Saturday as Pvt. Eddie Slovik, the only U.S. soldier executed for desertion since the Civil War, was buried in American soil. About 45 relatives, friends and compassionate strangers stood under a hot sun as Slovik's remains were laid to rest next to those of his wife, Antoinette, in a Roman Catholic burial rite conducted in English and Polish. Mrs.

The body of deserter Eddie Slovik, executed by a U.S. firing squad during World War II, was reported missing by airline officials Thursday night as it was being returned from France for burial in his native Detroit. Slovik's body had been scheduled to arrive at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on a TWA flight from New York's Kennedy International Airport. The flight's computer manifest indicated that the remains of the Army private were on board, but an agent said they could not be located.

I received the following e-mail Monday from Tommy Trojan: "Fellow Trojans and Supporters of the Cause ... thank you for all of your help." Well, I've done what I could, of course, with no "thank you" really necessary in getting the Trojans this far. And while it's true, miserable duty calls first, and I'm off to San Jose today to spend time with the Bruins at the Silicon Valley waste of time -- I'm only doing it so I can say I know what...

The remains of Pvt. Eddie Slovik, which were lost Thursday while being returned to Detroit more than four decades after he was executed in France for desertion during World War II, were found today in San Francisco. Dwayne Swindle, TWA station manager in Detroit, said the remains had been accidentally sidetracked to San Francisco but the cause of the mix-up had not been determined.

A pacifist Marine reservist, who could face execution for desertion during the Persian Gulf War, asked a federal judge on Friday to grant him conscientious objector status. U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker, his courtroom packed by clerics and peace activists, declined to rule on the request by Lance Cpl. Erik Larsen, 23. But the judge suggested he was leaning toward affirming the Marine position that Larsen is not a conscientious objector. In papers filed on Wednesday, the U.S.

Things happen that you thought impossible. A President resigns. TV networks change hands like hunks of real estate. Cary Grant dies. And now. . . . Link without Levinson. Richard Levinson, who died Thursday of an apparent heart attack at age 52, and his partner, William Link, formed one of TV's most respected, talented, thoughtful, prolific and successful writing/producing teams. We tend to notice stars, not creators.

April was the deadliest month for U.S. forces in Iraq, with 137 killed and about 1,000 wounded. Some of the casualties were barely out of high school. Five pregnant wives were left behind. Thirty-six of the dead were fathers, and 60 children lost a parent. At least 21 American soldiers thus far have committed suicide in Iraq, not counting those who killed themselves after returning home. By all accounts, including the most recent survey by the Pentagon itself, troop morale is low.

Pvt. Eddie Slovik, the only U.S. soldier executed for desertion since the Civil War, finally came home from France on Friday after 42 years and an airlines mistake that sent his remains to San Francisco. The whereabouts of the black box containing Slovik's bones was a mystery most of Thursday night as it headed to San Francisco aboard a jetliner, unknown to TWA officials. "It's just a matter of lost luggage," an airline spokesman said. "We've misplaced the thing somewhere."

The body of deserter Eddie Slovik, executed by a U.S. firing squad during World War II, was reported missing by airline officials Thursday night as it was being returned from France for burial in his native Detroit. Slovik's body had been scheduled to arrive at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on a TWA flight from New York's Kennedy International Airport. The flight's computer manifest indicated that the remains of the Army private were on board, but an agent said they could not be located.

Prejudice is hard to kick. In some circles, for example, television movie remains a term of derision. It's the industry's equivalent of a racial slur. Siskel and Ebert, TV's syndicated movie critics, are among the worst offenders, their ultimate putdown being "It reminded me of a TV movie"--as if anything made for the small screen were necessarily inferior. Thumbs down to that. Although most movies made for television are as bad as most movies made for theatrical release (which is pretty bad)