Vietnam War resisters in Sweden

Vietnam War resisters in Sweden were Americans who fled to Sweden to avoid service in the Vietnam War between 1967 and 1973. Among the roughly 1,000 American exiles were around 800 military deserters and draft dodgers. Unlike other nations like Canada that discreetly harbored Vietnam War resisters, the Swedish government granted war resisters asylum status and the public openly welcomed them. This unique acceptance and Swedish politicians' open protests against American involvement in the Vietnam War caused a rift in relations between Sweden and the United States. History During the Vietnam War, 503,926 desertions occurred in the United States military. Most deserted in the United States, but some fled to other countries. During the war American servicemen were often stationed in or took retreats to Japan, and had trouble deserting while there due to the language barrier. Activists from the Japanese leftist...