I was in the USAF on active duty. It was rare for a person to go AWOL, but when it did happen the person simply vanished. Presumably they went to a military prison for a time then got discharged.
My ex wife's brother was in the reserves and he kept missing drills. He was offered a choice, either he could finish his contract on active duty or he could go to a military prison. He chose the active duty but ultimately wound up in prison anyway.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.