Stephen Funk
Stephen Funk | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 15, 1982 Seattle, Washington |
| Service/ |  United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 2002–2004 |
| Rank | Private |
| Other work | Founder & Artistic Director, Veteran Artists |
Stephen Funk (born June 15, 1982) is a former
Background
Stephen Funk decided to enlist in the
Prior to enlisting, Funk had a background in social activism having attended an alternative high school called The Nova Project. He participated in protests against the World Trade Organization in Seattle and the during the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles.
His period of "unauthorized absence" lasted from February 9, 2003, to April 1, 2003.[3]
On April 1, 2003, Funk held a press conference at the main gate of San Jose Marine Reserve Base and turned himself over to military authorities. During the conference, Funk spoke to reporters and said "There is no way to justify war because you're paying with human lives."
Military punishment
Of the two charges Funk was brought up on, a military jury acquitted him on September 6, 2003, of desertion, but convicted him of the lesser charge of unauthorized absence. He had spent 47 days of unauthorized absence preparing his application for conscientious objection and was sentenced to six months imprisonment, reduction in rank from E-3 to E-1 and given a bad-conduct discharge.
Controversy
It is noteworthy that the United States punished him "for refusing to report to his unit during the Iraq war,"[4] during the period of his "unauthorized absence" (Feb 9, 2003 to April 1, 2003), which occurred before the May 22, 2003, adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1483. (That resolution affirmed that the United States and the United Kingdom had responsibility for Iraq as the "occupying powers under unified command.")
This sequence of events means that
Aftermath
Stephen Funk was confined in the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune Brig and served 5 months of a 6-month sentence. During his confinement, anti-war activists organized a major protest outside the base along with a bus tour of speakers traveling the east coast. It was coordinated with rallies in several major cities including San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, New Orleans, Paris, and London.
Upon release Funk returned to the San Francisco Bay Area enrolling at
See also
- List of Iraq War Resisters
- Opposition to the Iraq War
References
- ^ BBC News (April 2, 2003). "Rescued from Iraq". BBC Breakfast. Archived from the original on April 4, 2003. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
- ^ Campbell, Duncan (April 1, 2003). "Marine who said no to killing on his conscience". The Guardian. London.
- ^ a b Podger, Pamela J. (April 2, 2003). "Marine obeys his conscience/Reservist didn't ship out with his unit to Iraq". CCCO In the News. Archived from the original on April 6, 2003. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Anti-War U.S. Marine Sentenced to Six Months in Jail". Reuters. September 7, 2003. Archived from the original on September 9, 2003. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
- ^ Glantz, Aaron (August 25, 2006). "Bush and Saddam Should Both Stand Trial, Says Nuremberg Prosecutor". OneWorld United States. Archived from the original on August 31, 2006. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
- ^ a b "Principles of International Law Recognized in the Charter of the Nüremberg Tribunal and in the Judgment of the Tribunal, 1950". International Committee of the Red Cross. July 29, 1950. Retrieved October 1, 2021.