A B.C. man who was arrested last week in the U.S. for deserting the Marines in 1968 was freed from a military jail Thursday evening.

Allen Abney, 56, has been granted an administrative discharge after being held in a military prison in Camp Pendleton, north of San Diego, since his arrest last Thursday.

"The Marine Corps determined that it would be in the best interest of justice, the Marine Corps and Mr. Abney to separate him administratively," said Lt. Lawton King.

"He's been discharged from the Marine Corps so he's no longer a Marine."

King said privacy laws prevented him from disclosing whether Abney received less than an honourable discharge.

He was transported to San Diego airport before being flown to Washington State.

"The ticket was supplied to him by the Marine Corps," King said.

Abney escaped from being hit with a court martial, which means he will have no criminal record.

U.S. military officials in California indicated prior to Abney's release that they were trying to speed along the process to get him home in time for his brother's funeral in the East Kootenay -- scheduled for Saturday.

"We wanted to expedite the process as much as possible to accommodate his wishes to attend his brother's funeral," King said.

"He shipped out tonight, and I understand the funeral's on Saturday, so he should make it," he said on Thursday.

Abney was taken into custody when he and his wife were crossing the United States border into Idaho -- as they had done many times before -- from their Kingsgate home in southeastern B.C.

They were on their way to Reno, Nev. for a holiday when the border guard asked the two to come inside. A routine computer check revealed an arrest warrant.

Abney was born in the U.S. but grew up in Canada. He joined the Marine Corps in 1968 at the age of 19. After going through basic training in North Carolina, he fled to Canada after receiving a weekend pass to visit Mexico before he could be sent to Vietnam.

The Marine Corps maintain that the move to arrest Abney -- 38 years after the warrant was issued -- is not part of an attempt to crack down on deserters, as critics suggest.

Thousands of young Americans did the same thing, although many were dodging the draft rather than deserting. Many of them also moved to the southern B.C. interior.

Abney's family also said they suspected the U.S. government is trying to make an example of her husband, as a warning to young soldiers thinking twice about serving their country.

Military officials say the arrest has nothing to do with the Iraq war and they weren't trying to send a message to deserters.