The Vietnam War Draft

A need for more manpower upon America's deeper involvement in the Vietnam War in 1965 made President Johnson bring in conscription. Now young men, who were not considering military service, would consider whether they might get picked to fight in the Vietnam conflict across the globe. While two-thirds of Americans volunteered during the Vietnam War, the other third would be drafted. All males aged 18 to 26 were required to register for the draft. The names of American men of draft age were recorded by the Selective Service System. When called out by the local draft board, which was often composed of veterans, he would be evaluated on whether he would be drafted in the military or not. The local board's decisions were often seen as unfair. Most of the men chosen were from poor and working-class backgrounds, people of color, and people from rural towns and farming communities. Draft boards would frequently defer middle-class men, There were many ways in which draftees could be deferred or exempt from the draft. For example, men who were medically unfit, men who were married with children, or students at college. Men who had held college deferments were eligible for induction until age 35. But as few men between the ages of 26 and 35 were ever drafted, they could maintain a college deferment until their 26th birthday and avoid service altogether. Some draft resistors could be put in jail for refusing to fight in the war. They broke the law by escaping the draft, by refusing to turn up to the local board or fleeing to Canada. Those who were opposed to the draft became known as draft dodgers. When the war started, they were seen as cowards. But as the war dragged on and opposition to the draft grew, public attitude was more sympathetic. The draft process changed in late 1969 to make it fairer as a result of the public discontent. A draft lottery was created where 366 blue plastic capsules, each containing a birth date in the year, were dumped into a large glass container. The capsules were then drawn out, opened, and announced one by one, nervously watched on national television by young men born from 1944 to 1950. The first date announced was September 14, so all registrants with that birthday were assigned lottery number one. Men with lower numbers were called first and had to report to induction centers where they could be sent to the Vietnam War. The fourth and final lottery drawing was held on February 2, 1972, and those announced would have been called to induction in 1973. However, President Nixon shifted to an all-volunteer force, ending the draft in the Vietnam War. Thank you for all your support on the Simple History YouTube channel. If you enjoy the channel, please consider supporting us at Patreon.