Did the Vietnam War draft high schoolers?

Of those, 1.8 million men were drafted, but not all went to Vietnam. A high school student could defer being drafted until he graduated or reached the age of 20, whichever came first. A college student could defer the draft on a year-to-year basis provided he made satisfactory academic progress.

Why did people get drafted for Vietnam?

Origins. The lottery of 1969 was conceived to address perceived inequities in the draft system as it existed previously, and to add more military personnel towards the Vietnam War. By the end of 1965, President Johnson had sent 82,000 troops to Vietnam, and his military advisors wanted another 175,000.

Are drafted soldiers trained?

Drafted or volunteer, people are trained to be soldiers. During the darkest days of WWII, basic training lasted a minimum of five weeks.

Why is drafting bad?

A draft is dangerous When those aloof people play key roles in the infantry, failing to do the job well might be fatal. These people may not care about holding security or staying awake on watch, which can needlessly endanger the lives of all the people who want to do their job the right way.

Was the Vietnam draft fair?

The draft for the Vietnam War brought with it anxiety and anger to many American households. The draft was viewed as unequal because the working class man’s only choice was to go to war, while the wealthy men would go to college or enlist in the National Guard.

What is the age limit for the draft?

Present – The U.S. currently operates under an all-volunteer armed forces policy. All male citizens between the ages of 18 and 26 are required to register for the draft and are liable for training and service until the age of 35.

What was it like to be drafted during the Vietnam War?

Most of U.S. soldiers drafted during the Vietnam War were men from poor and working-class families. The least political power sections were mistreated. As a matter of fact, American forces in Vietnam included twenty-five percent poor, fifty-five percent working-class, twenty percent middle-class men, but very few came from upper-classes families.

How did young men avoid military service during the Vietnam War?

As American troop strength in Vietnam shot up, more young men of call-up age sought to avoid or delay their military service and there were some legal ways to do that. Men who had physical or mental problems, were married, with children, attending college or needed at home to support their families might be granted deferments.

What happened to draft dodgers after the Vietnam War?

Those who had practiced draft invasion by flying abroad faced forced military service or imprisonment if they went back home. Although draft dodgers were still prosecuted after the end of U.S. direct involvement in Vietnam, in September 1974 President Gerald Ford granted a conditional amnesty that required them to be of service from 6 to 24 months.

What led to the Vietnam War draft riots in the US?

The United States instituted conscription during the Civil War, which led to a series of bloody draft riots. Resistance to the draft, as managed by the Selective Service in the United States, reached a historic peak during the Vietnam War.