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Started By
Message
re: The Vietnam Draft Lottery
Posted on 6/8/26 at 9:25 am to Bamafig
Posted on 6/8/26 at 9:25 am to Bamafig
I worked with a guy(RIP) that was drafted into Vietnam. They would actually ask you if you wanted the Army or the Marines. The guy I worked with said Army and he said some of the guys would say "Oh, it doesn't matter" and they immediately put them into the Marines,
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Posted on 6/8/26 at 9:30 am to Bamafig
That can't be.... all I see on here is how easy the Boomers had it.
Posted on 6/8/26 at 9:30 am to beerJeep
quote:
My arse would have been drafted early fml
I would have been one of the first too.
Posted on 6/8/26 at 9:38 am to CleverUserName
My dad and a few of his brothers had high draft numbers. Instead of getting drafted they enlisted instead. Reason given was by enlisting, they at least had a little control over which branch, etc.
My dad joined the Army and his unit spent about 6 months in Hawaii training before going to Vietnam. So he felt he was with a better trained unit. Said that a lot of those draftees just went through basic and were thrown into the war. Not the ideal situation to be around those guys in a war zone.
My dad joined the Army and his unit spent about 6 months in Hawaii training before going to Vietnam. So he felt he was with a better trained unit. Said that a lot of those draftees just went through basic and were thrown into the war. Not the ideal situation to be around those guys in a war zone.
Posted on 6/8/26 at 9:41 am to Bamafig
For context, the Tet offensive of early 1968 scared everybody, and the US dead passed 30,000 the next month. Network news reminded us every night that it was a very hot war. Prior to Dec 1969 local Draft boards went down the lists on an oldest 1st basis. College grads losing deferments were top of the list.
The letter did not say "Greetings from the President". It was singular "Greeting...". The flimsy envelope was familiar. The notice of pre-induction physical had come first, then the notification of a 1-A classification. You could buy time and get more letters through change-of-residence appeals. Approval was automatic, the Board knew they had you.
Two years in the Great Green Killing Machine passed quickly. Occasionally I want to ask colleages what they did to avoid the draft. I never did.
The letter did not say "Greetings from the President". It was singular "Greeting...". The flimsy envelope was familiar. The notice of pre-induction physical had come first, then the notification of a 1-A classification. You could buy time and get more letters through change-of-residence appeals. Approval was automatic, the Board knew they had you.
Two years in the Great Green Killing Machine passed quickly. Occasionally I want to ask colleages what they did to avoid the draft. I never did.
Posted on 6/8/26 at 9:45 am to Bamafig
Had a neighbor that got drafted and while he was over there his parents got killed during hurricane Camille. Just awful
Posted on 6/8/26 at 9:46 am to Bamafig
My arse would have got drafted. Late, but drafted nonetheless.
ETA: My Pops was drafted in the last draft, but he got a deferment or whatever due to being the youngest son of his family, still living at home, and his mother being a widow.
ETA: My Pops was drafted in the last draft, but he got a deferment or whatever due to being the youngest son of his family, still living at home, and his mother being a widow.
This post was edited on 6/8/26 at 9:55 am
Posted on 6/8/26 at 10:01 am to lsutigersFTW
Did you just publicly declare yourself a draft dodger?
Posted on 6/8/26 at 10:12 am to Bamafig
quote:
I was born on December 30
I share the same shitty birthday, but I'm a bit older. I was starting to get nervous when the war ended.
Posted on 6/8/26 at 10:54 am to SallysHuman
quote:His number was likely high enough to not have been activated.
I'm trying to figure out why he was special
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