Table of Contents
Most of the men who were drafted went into the Army. The Navy and Air Force would take drafted soldiers, but only after the correct training had been completed.
How long did a draftee have to serve in Vietnam?
two years
Draftees had a service obligation of two years, but volunteers served longer tours—four years in the case of the Air Force. Another alternative was to join the National Guard or the Reserve, go to basic training, and then serve out one’s military obligation on training weekends and short active duty tours.
What ages were drafted in Vietnam?
Before the lottery was implemented in the latter part of the Vietnam conflict, there was no system in place to determine order of call besides the fact that men between the ages of 18 and 26 were vulnerable to being drafted. Local boards called men classified 1-A, 18-1/2 through 25 years old, oldest first.
Who was exempt from the Vietnam draft?
1. Be a Conscientious Objector. Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mennonites, the Amish, and Quakers are all considered Peace Churches who are opposed to any kind of military service. They were allowed to serve in other ways, however, but in a civilian capacity.
How did they decide who got drafted?
Officials would draw numbers similar to drawing numbers for a lottery. If your birthdate is the first one drawn, you are the first to be drafted. Normally, officials have a cutoff number based on the needs of the military. For example, during the 1969 draft lottery, men born between Jan.
What were the odds of being drafted to Vietnam?
Considering the “draft age” and the demographics of the 18 – 24 year old age cohort, your odds on actually getting drafted during the Vietnam era were probably lower than 5\% (on a cohort wide basis). During WWII (which was probably the “height of drafting”) your odds on getting drafted might have been as high as 10\%.
What birthdays were chosen for the Vietnam draft?
On December 1, 1969, the Selective Service System of the United States conducted two lotteries to determine the order of call to military service in the Vietnam War in the year 1970, for men born from January 1, 1944 to December 31, 1950.
How did the military draft affect the Vietnam War?
The military draft brought the war to the American home front. During the Vietnam War era, between 1964 and 1973, the U.S. military drafted 2.2 million American men out of an eligible pool of 27 million.
How many draftees died in Vietnam in 1969?
If that reluctant veteran is alive today—and more than 13,000 draftees were killed in combat in Vietnam in 1969—he’ll be surprised to know the odds the gods of war had stacked against him.
Did the Marines ever take draftees in 1968?
The Marines took draftees in 1968. It preferred not to, but would do so when necessary. My friend’s cousin was drafted. At the induction center the draftees were line up in ranks. A sergeant with a clipboard walked down the lines, looking at his clipboard.
What did people wear to the 1968 Vietnam War draft?
I was next to a guy who received his draft notice, and showed up dresses in pink-hat, shirt, tie, belt, pants, socks, shoes, shoe laces, EVERYTHING In 1968, you could also “volunteer” for the draft, with a 2 year obligation as a draftee.