Bringing deserters from World War II into this is valid.
It demonstrates that both "good" wars and "bad" wars bring out a certain element who refuse to fight, making the issue of whether the conflict is proper or not somewhat moot to the question.
Were they drafted by a recognizable government for the purpose of serving their country?
Why is the the issue of whether the conflict is proper or not somewhat moot to the question? If the only relevant is question whether they were drafted by their country, then you'd have to lump all of those who refused to answer Hitler's call in the same boat as those who refused to fight in Vietnam.
No one in their right mind would call those who "ran" to the west rather than participate in Hiter's terror campaigns cowards, but they would be under your analysis.
On a more general point, why are these people either worthy of a monument or cowards? There is some middle ground there.
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