The first American conscientious objector from the Iraq war will give
himself up at a marine base in California this morning. He said he
believed the war was "immoral because of the deception involved by
our leaders".
Stephen Eagle Funk, 20, a marine reserve who was due to be sent for
combat duty, is currently on "unauthorised absence" from his
unit. He faces a possible court martial and time in military prison for
his action.
"I know I have to be punished for going UA," Mr Funk told the
Guardian in an interview before surrendering to authorities, "but I
would rather take my punishment now than live with what I would have to
do [in Iraq] for the rest of my life. I would be going in knowing that it
was wrong and that would be hypocritical."
Mr Funk, who is originally from Seattle and is half Filipino, was
approached by a recruiting officer last year. At the time, he said, he
was depressed after dropping out of a biology course at the University of
Southern California in Los Angeles. He was working part-time for a vet
and in a pet shop.
His family and friends were surprised by his decision, he said, because
they had known him to have liberal political views and not to have been
interested in the military.
"I wanted to belong and I wanted another direction in my life, and
this seemed to offer it," said Mr Funk. "They told me I would
be able to go back to school [university]." Recruits have their
college fees paid once they complete their service.
"The ads make the armed forces look so cool - 'Call this number and
we'll send you a free pair of boxer shorts' - and a lot of kids don't
realise what's involved," he said. Although he graduated from the
famously tough marine boot camp in San Diego and excelled as a rifleman
during the 12-week induction period, Mr Funk said he had started to have
doubts about military service during his training.
"Every day in combat training you had to yell out 'Kill! Kill!' and
we would get into trouble if you didn't shout it out, so often I would
just mouth it so I didn't get into trouble." The recruits were also
encouraged to hurt each other during hand-to- hand combat training.
"I couldn't do that so they would pair me up with someone who was
very violent or aggressive."
Mr Funk said many recruits were envious of those who were being sent to
the Gulf. "They would say things like, 'Kill a raghead for me - I'm
so jealous.'"
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