More on the earlier VN post

Apr 1, 2022, 2:59 PM

Kids today not facing the draft could never understand how it affects your life.
In the 60's the body bags were on the news every night. Everyone knew someone dead or mangled, VN was real.

I did some quick research --

The draft was for 2 years (did some do 18 Months?). Because draftees served only for two years, it was not worthwhile putting them through long training programs. In my day it was 8 weeks basic, and about 12 weeks in advanced training. In the movies you got adults like John Wayne -- reality was teenagers. Most were small town boys who had no clue as to life.

Make no mistake, these kids were up to it as much as had been their Pops in WW11.
I fought bikers in 1990 at a Hank, Jr concert with this kid in the middle.

Army served “364 days and a wake-up” in VN, to be different Marines did 13 months.

Members of draft boards were under pressure from their family and from those with wealth and power to exempt potential draftees. Many kids were able to get into the National Guard.
Some had a political connection, or had a family doctor that could give them a medical deferment. Some could afford college. Poor kids were drafted.

There were about 27 million American men eligible for military service between 1964 and 1973. Of that number, 2,215,000 men were drafted into military service. Around 15 million were granted deferments.

There were more than 300,000 draft evaders. Some 100,000 deserted. 30,000 emigrated to Canada.

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the tug abides

In Fall of 1966 I lacked the money to return to Clemson. My wonderful parents were already in debt paying off past loans for me at Clemson. The well was dry. Back then most could not work their way through Clemson as few jobs were near. About the only housing available was dorms.

I got a job with the highway department drawing up road blueprints and doing survey work.
I was living in a trailer with a rich kid who was going to Gardner Webb.
As soon as I lost my college status, got a letter to report to Ft Jackson for a physical.

I saw no reason to be "drafted" for 2 years if I could "enlist" for 4 years of war.

Lacking enough gas $$ to make it to Canada, I drove to Charlotte and signed up for 4 years on the "buddy plan" with my roommate. Uncle Sam said he needed us.

I failed my enlistment physical in Charlotte, tested deaf in one ear.
Reported to Ft Jackson for their draft physical 2 weeks later and passed.

I went back to Charlotte and showed them the Columbia results.
They put my buddy and I on a bus to Ft Bragg. I was at Bragg when I got a draft notice to report to Ft Jackson -- Drill SGT laughed at that as my a*s was already his.

I never made it to Viet Nam. Thanks to Clemson I could do math (this was before calculators when engineering students used slide rules). I was sent to a nuclear unit - 2nd USA Missile Detachment.
My buddy became a highly decorated Green Beret and extended in VN. When I got back home, he was waiting at my house and we again were roommates. The many slides he had of fighting in the war were awesome. He was beyond the lines with the Montagnard tribes.

I have always felt guilty about it all.

More on the earlier VN post

Re: More on the earlier VN post

Re: More on the earlier VN post

I did not agree or support the Vietnam War

Re: I did not agree or support the Vietnam War

Do you see parallels between the pre-US

Re: Do you see parallels between the pre-US

I too was attacked

Re: More on the earlier VN post

Alaska

Re: Alaska

Sounds like you were familiar with his

Re: Sounds like you were familiar with his

Lol,

is that Willie Donahue?

Huh, I was more taken with

dude on the right is Willie Donahue

You miss very little,

Re: You miss very little,

Dang,

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