Biography
Dave Smith was a United States Army deserter who opposed the Vietnam War and reached Sweden, one of roughly a thousand American exiles — some eight hundred of them deserters and draft resisters — who were granted asylum there during the war. Born on a farm in Texas, he was still living in Sweden in December 1982, when the Washington Post found him there aged 36 and reported that he had taken Swedish citizenship. He spoke, the paper noted, with a Swedish accent running through his American English, and had at times to search for the English word he wanted.
Living status and present residence unverified: no dependable recent evidence has been found establishing whether he is alive or still in Sweden. He is recorded here as currently in exile on the assumption that he remains abroad. His is also a common name, so a future record for another Dave Smith should be checked against this one before it is created.
