Does the soldier deserve pity?

No, I do not believe he deserves pity although he does deserve to be forgave. If you look at it if he did not do it someone else would have: then he would probably have been in trouble. Although he knew what was coming after he did what he did and possibly could have even got around either not doing it or not doing it as bad. He just need to think before he acts and take what hes done and live with it.