Why did people avoid the draft during the Vietnam War?

While the reasons for being “anti-war” were mostly religious during the First and Second World Wars, in the 1960’s, the reasons given by young men who were resisting the draft included not only religious beliefs but ethical considerations as well.

How did rich people avoid the draft?

Back then, rich men had many other options open to them avoiding Civil War service. To dodge the Civil War draft, people could pay a less wealthy person to take their place in the draft, pay a crooked doctor to give them a bad health exam, or outright bribe draft officials.

What prevents you from getting drafted?

Even among the fit, drug-free, educated masses, many will still be too short, too tall, have flat feet or be the single parent of a minor child. All of those reasons will keep someone out of the military in general, but each branch has its own particular limitations.

How tall is too tall for the military?

The cause for rejection for Armed Forces male applicants is height less than 60 inches or more than 80 inches. The cause for rejection for Armed Forces female applicants is height less than 58 inches or more than 80 inches. The Marines are more restrictive.

Do females have to register for Selective Service?

As of January 2016, there has been no decision to require females to register with Selective Service, or be subject to a future military draft. Selective Service continues to register only men, ages 18 through 25.

Can the only child be drafted?

the “only son”, “the last son to carry the family name,” and ” sole surviving son” must register with Selective Service. These sons can be drafted. However, they may be entitled to peacetime deferment if there is a military death in the immediate family.

How many Americans fled to Canada to avoid the Vietnam War draft?

An estimated 125,000 Americans fled to Canada in the 1960s and ’70s to avoid the Vietnam War military draft, according to the American Veterans of Foreign Wars.

How many Americans evaded the draft to settle in Canada?

Estimates vary greatly as to how many Americans settled in Canada for the specific reason of dodging the draft or “evading conscription,” as opposed to desertion, or other reasons. Canadian immigration statistics show that 20,000 to 30,000 draft-eligible American men came to Canada as immigrants during the Vietnam era.

What happened to the men who escaped the draft?

About half returned to the United States when President Carter granted them amnesty in 1977. But decades after fleeing the draft, many of those men still live north of the border — including a sizable community in Nelson — and say they still have no regrets about what they did.

Where did Draft draft dodgers settle in Canada?

Draft dodgers settled mostly in big cities such as Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. As their numbers swelled toward the end of the 1960s, more and more people in Canada began working for organizations helping dodgers find work and settle. Mark Satin, 68, was one of them.