[Mature] news' Deserter return to USA

[Hellfighter]

Deserter Jenkins may visit U.S.
Wednesday, June 8, 2005 Posted: 1:01 AM EDT (0501 GMT)
Jenkins has said he deserted to North Korea because he feared he would be reassigned to fight in Vietnam.


TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- High-profile U.S. Army deserter Charles Jenkins may return to the United States for the first time in 40 years to visit his elderly mother, according to Japanese media reports.

The 65-year-old Jenkins deserted to North Korea while serving as a sergeant in South Korea patrolling the demilitarized zone between the two nations.

He now lives in Japan with his Japanese wife and daughters after giving himself up to U.S. authorities last year.

Jenkins has asked to travel to the United States to see his 91-year-old mother who lives in a nursing home in North Carolina, Japan's Yomiuri newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The newspaper said Jenkins would be accompanied by his family and that the trip was expected to last around a week.

The Kyodo news agency says Jenkins may head to the United States as soon as Tuesday next week.

Jenkins's case made headlines last year when he gave himself up to U.S. authorities after traveling to Japan to receive medical treatment.

Last November he was sentenced to spend a month in a military prison and received a dishonorable discharge, ending the longest-running U.S. desertion case on record.

Jenkins has said he deserted to North Korea because he feared he would be reassigned to fight in Vietnam.

North Korea used Jenkins as a propaganda tool, making him appear in newsreels denouncing the United States.

He later married a Japanese woman, Hitomi Soga, who had been kidnapped by North Korea in 1978 to help train spies and teach them Japanese.

She was allowed to return to Japan with four other abductees in 2002 after North Korea admitted the kidnappings.

Jenkins and Soga now live on an isolated Japanese island with their two daughters.

source: http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapc...sit/index.html

man is he getting off light or what?
will he been over there for a long time i do know life over there is not sweet for him so maybe its ok, still get my guts he only gets only: one month Prison time? the Dishonorable is fine with me, but only a month jail time. will maybe he really sick too so they being ease on him.

Last November he was sentenced to spend a month in a military prison and received a dishonorable discharge, ending the longest-running U.S. desertion case on record.

[SilentTrigger]

Damn one month isn't much comapered to what it usually is, but might be good non the less in my opinion

Think its up to life here, that might be for spying though, not sure. You do get longer then one month i'm pretty sure.

[atholon]

40 years

[DevilDog#1]

Just think it this way. He has lived in N Korea and Japan and prolly went through lot of abuse there. Why agonize him more? I think at his age month is enough. It's the message which military is trying to send not the actual punishment. The message that you'll serve time!

Let the dude meet his mom. Been too long anyway ...

Edit: "dude"

[-live-wire-]

Yeah..Think about what he gave up...and look at what he missed...I think that's quite a punishment already..but hey..desertion is pretty bad.. but not a life sentence and at 65 ...anything lengthy might actually be a life sentece to this chap..
I think ...the statute of limitations...is in order..but what about his denouncing the U.S....that part ...I don't care for.

[Hellfighter]

Originally posted by -live-wire-
Yeah..Think about what he gave up...and look at what he missed...I think that's quite a punishment already..but hey..desertion is pretty bad.. but not a life sentence and at 65 ...anything lengthy might actually be a life sentece to this chap..
I think ...the statute of limitations...is in order..but what about his denouncing the U.S....that part ...I don't care for.

"but what about his denouncing the U.S....that part"

will that part may have been force on to him, by the North Korea part.

[JonM]

i don't konw.. i'll jsut let law speak and then be done with this case.

[atholon]

I don't really care but I mean he should be able to at least see his mom. I am suprised she is still alive

[DevilDog#1]

Poor lady is prolly waiting for him ...

[BADDOG]

He should not have deserted but he's probably to old to punish now.

Regards

[Lakie]

he should become a diplomat for a country then noone can really do anything, im not even sure if he has o announce his presence in the US if hes a diplomat....