Were You Drafted?

[Texas Proud]

I was in the group that did not even have to register for the draft...

Men born from March 29, 1957 to December 31, 1959 were never required to register with the Selective Service System because the registration program was not in operation at the time they turned 18. The requirement to register was reinstated in 1980 and applies to all men born on or after January 1, 1960.


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I had one BIL who joined the Navy so he would not be drafted and a second who went to got married and then went to college to defer.... but ended up volunteering before he was drafted...

 

[MRG]

Depends on when in 1957 you were born. From the Selective Service System, "Men born from March 29, 1957 through December 31, 1959, were not required to register with the Selective Service System because the registration program was suspended when they would have reached age 18. The requirement to register with Selective Service was reinstated in 1980, but only for men born January 1, 1960, or later."

I was born in 1959, so never had to register.

Fits me. Born in '57 before March 29th and I thought I was one of the last(at the time) who went through the process.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

I am a draft dodger--I enlisted, was RA. I mustered out before the lottery even started. Having learned that I was unsuited for honest labor, I became an engineer with the help of the GI bill.

 

[samclem]

I registered at age 18, but the draft was a thing of the past. I joined AFROTC in college, got my commission, stayed for 21 years, a lot of 'em in "purple" jobs. I didn't enjoy every day, but the work was good and the people were outstanding.

 

[samclem]

It's interesting to see those that were drafted and chose the Navy or AF. As I remember, my cousin, born in 1950 got drafted and had to go into the Army or Marines. According to him the Navy, AF, and Coast Guard were full up.

Yep, as soon as the Army starts drafting, the USAF and USN have all the volunteers they can handle. The USMC did draft during the Vietnam War, I >believe< it was the first time. It is not well known that more Marines were killed or wounded during that conflict than during WWI and WWII combined.

 

[REWahoo]

The USMC did draft during the Vietnam War, I >believe< it was the first time.

The Marines drafted during the Korean War as well. My oldest brother experienced it first hand in 1952. They were lined up at the induction center and every other individual was told to take a step forward, then congratulated for "volunteering" for the USMC.

 

[redduck]

I registered at age 18, but the draft was a thing of the past. I joined AFROTC in college, got my commission, stayed for 21 years, a lot of 'em in "purple" jobs. I didn't enjoy every day, but the work was good and the people were outstanding.

What is a "purple job?"

 

[samclem]

What is a "purple job?"

Sorry--it's an assignment to an organization with members from several services.

 

[check6]

Lottery number 222 but was in AFROTC at the time. First assignment after pilot training was Germany so missed the end of 'Nam. Left after 11 years active duty.

 

[Koolau]

Easy answer is "No." I was not drafted.

That does not mean the draft did not affect me. I registered for the draft just as VN was heating up. My 2S deferment for university was constantly being "threatened" with revocation if grades had slipped below a defined level (don't recall the details, but it wasn't an impossibility to lose the 2S for grades.) Every 6 months or so, I would get a "warning" letter from SS (no, not Social Security) about keeping grades up and carrying an adequate load of credits. One year, I was forced to drop a course which put me right at the minimum number of credits to avoid going directly to 1A status.

One year, SS required all men with 2S to take an (I suppose it was) achievement test. I had plans to go to the Indy 500, but the only day the test was offered was on Memorial Day. Failure to take the test (and pass it) meant immediate loss of 2S status so I sat with a couple of thousand other guys in a big hall and took an all day test.

Several months before graduation I was called to take my draft physical which I passed with flying colors. Within days of receiving my degree and my first real j*b, I received my 1A status. Those were interesting times.

Fortunately, the draft lottery was introduced and I drew a high enough number that I was not called that year. So, long story longer, I felt under the gun (so to speak) for the better part of 5 years before I finally realized I was not going to be called. YMMV

 

[street]

Texas Proud >>>> thanks I was one that was just before the cut off. I do remember being a little nervous about it.

 

[SteveNU]

Born in May 1957 so I was in that window of time where there was no draft or registration. Ended up enlisting in the Navy in 1976 though and did six years.

 

[harley]

Every 6 months or so, I would get a "warning" letter from SS (no, not Social Security)

Schutzstaffel?

 

[misanman]

I was drafted and went to Ft Knox for basic in March of 1969. Then to Ft Myer, Va, as a Mathematician for the Department of the Army Staff. Assigned to the Pentagon in the Strength Requirements Branch of the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff. Worked on army staffing simulations with the draft call numbers as the ultimate output (ironic, I guess). This was a very interesting two years. Was discharged two years later in March, 1971.

 

[street]

Interesting thread. Like I posted earlier I was one of the last that was required to register for Vietnam era.

So I was curious if I could locate my draft number etc.. After getting on a US web site it says that any one looking for this info if found would be sent a bill for this information. This was the process for anyone born before 1960. People born after 1960 there was a different processes for them to recover their info. It was a lot easier to get info after 1960 then before. It kind of sounded like this info may not even be available. Then it sounds like it maybe locked information.

 

[calmloki]

Interesting thread. Like I posted earlier I was one of the last that was required to register for Vietnam era.

So I was curious if I could locate my draft number etc.. After getting on a US web site it says that any one looking for this info if found would be sent a bill for this information. This was the process for anyone born before 1960. People born after 1960 there was a different processes for them to recover their info. It was a lot easier to get info after 1960 then before. It kind of sounded like this info may not even be available. Then it sounds like it maybe locked information.

Car-Guy posted this earlier: https://www.sss.gov/About/History-And-Records/lotter1

I pre-1960 birth and vaguely remembered a number of 36 - list shows me as having been 34, so I'd guess it is legit and superior to my memory.

 

[Huston55]

Born in 1955, subject to 1975 SS lottery table (drawn 20 March 1974), the 'lucky winner' of #009. Fortunately, even though the lottery had continued, conscription had ended. I was already accepted @ a military college so, would have received a deferment anyway.

It's very interesting reading this thread; it takes me back to March 1974, sitting with my high school buddy @ his kitchen table when we learned our SS numbers. Heady times they were.

The 'forced' volunteerism that occurred (and which is described in this thread) is something that all of us (especially men) in that age group remember. But, I have to say that I didn't realize how large the multiplying effect was. It's described on the "Conscription in the US" wiki page, a small bit of which I've excerpted below.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscription_in_the_United_States

Government leaders felt the potential for a draft was a critical element in maintaining a constant flow of volunteers. On numerous occasions Gen. Hershey told Congress for every man drafted, three or four more were scared into volunteering.[38] Assuming his assessment was accurate, this would mean over 11 million men volunteered for service because of the draft between January 1954 and April 1975.[19]

 

[misanman]

Government leaders felt the potential for a draft was a critical element in maintaining a constant flow of volunteers. On numerous occasions Gen. Hershey told Congress for every man drafted, three or four more were scared into volunteering.[38] Assuming his assessment was accurate, this would mean over 11 million men volunteered for service because of the draft between January 1954 and April 1975.[19]

I can personally attest that we took this into account when determining the draft numbers. There was a "multiplier" effect. If we set the draft call at 20,000 for a given month, then we factored in that that level of call would generate a incremental number of enlistments in the follow on months (I don't remember the specific factors anymore but probably wouldn't want to disclose them if I did), and the bulk of the enlistments were for 3 years.

The main reason for enlisting was to have some choice as to military occupational specialty. What I did not realize until I arrived in the Pentagon in 1969 was that all inductees with math, science or engineering degrees were hand screened to fill slots that required those skills.

 

[eytonxav]

It always seemed odd to me, that there were many college grads who ended up as an enlisted grunts. There was even one guy that had a masters in electrical engineering from GT, and was assigned to the vehicle repair shop along with me and several other college grads. I just had a HS degree at that time.

 

[misanman]

It always seemed odd to me, that there were many college grads who ended up as an enlisted grunts. There was even one guy that had a masters in electrical engineering from GT, and was assigned to the vehicle repair shop along with me and several other college grads. I just had a HS degree at that time.

I'm sure this happened a lot. When I was close to the end of my service, my manager (a LtC) brought a pile of "resumes" to me and asked me to recommend some of them to fill my spot. Under educational background, one of them wrote "PhD, Yale", but didn't bother to provide any other detail on his concentration. I'm not sure if he was displaying a bit of attitude or maybe he thought it was useless to go into any detail. Anyway, I pointed his resume out to my boss but actually recommended 2 or 3 candidates that had bothered to provide detailed background and that were good fits. I often wonder what happened to that guy.

 

[eytonxav]

When I was coming out of basic, the initial MOS they had me assigned to was special weapons mechanic, and would have gone to school in Colorado. I was elated, as I thought I could become a gunsmith after the service. However, just before leaving Lackland, they changed that assignment and would only accept E4s into that field, so was reassigned as a special vehicle repairman, and ended up working on fire trucks at SAC HQ in Omaha. I am grateful for my service since it gave me the GI bill which paid for much of the cost of engineering school.

 

[Bamaman]

I went into college in 1968, and Air Force ROTC was a requirement for all male students in my large university. After passing the AFOQT and the pilot's test, they were wanting to make me a pilot.

When the draft lottery came, I came up 330--a product of family prayer my father said. Therefore I didn't have to go into the service.

My brother in law graduated in '69, and his only option to being drafted was going into the Marine Reserve--as an air traffic controller. My cousin flunked college, spent '69 in helicopter school and he went straight to Vietnam and gthe secret war in Laos. He's still fighting serious PTSD to this day and is mentally disabled.

 

[mf15]

Like Ed I enlisted in the Army, draft # I think was 65,went in Feb 1970.
At the time I believe they were still drafing 50K a month, did not want to be drafted
into USMC. I love Marines but did not want to be one.
Anyhow had orders for Nam at at least 3 times in my hand, but as luck would have
it spent all of 71 in Korea. By 71 they were starting to pull out of Nam but Korea was
severely under strength. Out in 2 years, and yes you could enlist for 2 years.

Oh yea finished my degree at night on the gi bill.

The really sad thing is that the 2nd ID, is still in Korea.

One other tidbit, you have no idea how much,miserableness being able to type saved me.
Thank you grade 8 typing teacher.

If you are really into this stuff here is a youtube video of the fire base I was at in Korea.
I just happened to find it about 2 months ago.
It looks nice as the years progress, was there in tents no concrete bunkers as I remember.

We only got to the fire base about once every 3 months or so, went on a rotational basis with other units.
That is how we got Hostile Fire Pay, $65/month extra.

One more thing I just found out if you were there from about 68 to 71 on the DMZ, the govt
has admitted that you had presumptive exposure to Agent Orange.


A Battery 1/15 FA, 2nd ID.
Second to none, first to run.
Old Spec 5 Mike

 

[braumeister]

They started drawing lottery numbers a few months after I entered active duty, so it was just of passing interest to me.

But this reminded me of a funny incident.

I had orders for Vietnam in 1971, and was planning to go in a couple of months. But while TDY at our major command HQ I was called aside by a Colonel (I was just a 1st Lt) and offered a special deal. He told me he knew I was headed to the war zone and gave me the chance to volunteer for a special assignment that had just been created. If I did, the Vietnam orders would be cancelled and I would go to the other place instead, which was in a very safe location.

The rub was that the special assignment was Top Secret and I only had a Secret clearance at the time, so he couldn't be specific about it. But he gave me a rough outline of what was involved and it didn't sound so good to me. I politely declined his offer with thanks, and continued on as planned.

Years later, when I actually had a TS clearance, I was able to find out the details of the special assignment and concluded in retrospect that I had made a good decision.

The military is a funny institution.

 

[Big_Hitter]

My brother was born in 1949 and got drafted into the US Army in 1970