The sailors who deserted the USS Intrepid in 1967, shown here, including John Barilla, Michael Lindner and Craig Anderson, were part of a group known as the "Intrepid Four." They traveled to the Soviet Union where they stayed for about a month before traveling to Sweden in December 1967.

Sweden granted the "Intrepid Four" humanitarian asylum marking them as the first American deserters to receive international press coverage for their actions. This incident significantly affected Swedish-American diplomatic relations at the time. Craig Anderson eventually left Sweden for Canada and then sneaked back into the U.S., where he was arrested in 1972 and served eight months in prison before receiving a bad conduct discharge from the Navy. As of the last reports, Barilla was living in Canada, and Bailey and Lindner (Sutherland) were still in Sweden. The ship from which they deserted, the USS Intrepid, has since become a museum in New York City, featuring an exhibit called "Dissent On Board" that tells their story​​​​.

Their desertion, while statistically minor, had a significant impact by emboldening the antiwar movement and challenging the U.S. government's stance on the Vietnam War. Despite their initial portrayal as heroes in the Soviet media, their motivations were complex, driven by personal disillusionment with military life and a principled opposition to the war.

Public perceptions of deserters in 1967 were often polarized, mirroring the broader societal divisions over the Vietnam War. Some viewed deserters as cowards or traitors who failed to fulfill their patriotic duty, while others saw them as individuals taking a principled stand against what they viewed as an unjust or immoral conflict. This divide was reflected in media coverage, political discourse, and social attitudes of the time.

During the Vietnam War era, the perspectives on patriotism, duty, and the war itself were deeply divided. One side of the debate was represented by individuals and groups who maintained a "my country, right or wrong" stance, believing strongly in supporting their country's actions and policies, including the war effort in Vietnam. This viewpoint often reflected a sense of national loyalty and a belief in the importance of standing behind one's country's decisions, particularly during times of conflict.

On the other side were those who believed that dissent and opposition to the war could also be forms of patriotism. These individuals often felt that true patriotism involved holding one's country to higher standards and principles, even if that meant opposing its actions. They argued that by refusing to participate in what they viewed as an unjust or immoral conflict, they were upholding the values of democracy, freedom, and human rights.

The question of whether a deserter can be considered a patriot is subjective. From a legal standpoint, desertion is seen as a criminal act, especially during times of war, as it involves abandoning one's duty to the military and, by extension, to one's country. However, moral and ethical considerations can complicate this view. Some argue that true patriotism sometimes requires challenging unjust or immoral policies. In this view, a deserter who refuses to serve in what they believe to be an unjust or immoral conflict might be seen as acting in the best interests of their country's true values, thus framing their actions as a form of patriotic resistance.

In times of widespread support for a military action, deserters are more likely to be vilified. Conversely, in situations where public opinion turns against a conflict, deserters who acted on moral or ethical grounds may gain more sympathy and even admiration for their courage to resist.
Some philosophers and ethicists argue that patriotism should not be uncritically synonymous with government or military policy support, believing that a true patriot might be someone who acts according to their conscience, striving to uphold their nation's values even when that means opposing its policies or military actions.

Legally a deserter is a member of the armed forces who willfully abandons their duty without the intention to return. The Uniform Code of Military Justice which is the foundation of military law in the U.S., specifies the penalties for desertion. Under the law desertion carries severe penalties, including the possibility of imprisonment, forfeiture of pay, dishonorable discharge, and even the death penalty under certain wartime conditions, although the latter was rarely applied by 1967.

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