Posted on Mar 12, 2020
Does having received a draft notice make someone a veteran?
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Last night a person that I know from a local motorcycle group (not Legion) said that the group honored her father who recently passed with a flag line. She said that they pressured her into the flag line even though her father never served in the military and she told them that. The headquarters President justified it by saying, “Well he received a draft notice, didn’t he?”
Later in the conversation, she mentioned one of our mutual friends as being a veteran and that he would not have allowed anything like stolen valor. I told her he was not a veteran and that we actually both belonged to the same American Legion and he grew up hanging around the American Legion post, but he is a member of the Sons of the American Legion; he is not a Legionnaire, not a dual member, and he is not a veteran. We argued for about five minutes over this and I finally hung up.
I’m returning my colors tomorrow; I never even wore them but I don’t feel comfortable with this group now.
I see the draft notice as different from actually having served. Am I wrong?
03/16/2020 Edit: Yesterday, one of the members contacted me back and clarified, "The flag lines are for anyone we want to honor, first responders, military, and our families are very high on the list." As they say here in Phila, "I'm feelin some type of way about this." I told him he needs to educate the entire group on who their flag lines are for, and as a representative of the organization, the secretary should know better.
03/23/2020 Edit: The moto group is NOT the Legion Riders -just a local moto org that promotes themselves a veterans and first responders group)
09/07/20 Edit: Well, after much anxiety, I wanted to update about this. Covid hit and I haven't been back to that group. The Sgt at Arms felt I shouldn't make any hasty decisions, but I just knew it wasn't a right fit. More recently, after watching the group respond to peaceful BLM march with "No they don't" when marchers proclaimed, "Black Lives Matter," and screaming at the marchers "Black Lives Splatter," display their flag line as if fellow protesting citizens aren't patriotic, use the local VFW with confederate flags and a woman veteran screaming and flipping off protesters, and watching two of their trucks dump black diesel smoke right in front of peacefully marching protesters, I cut ties with the group by initially removing the vast majority from facebook. The very next day, their Sgt At Arms felt the need to send me a private message on FB, "I see you unfriended me, friend," with a big ole thumbs up, which I ignored. A few days later, he sent me this big long Trump rant about how he was supporting troops (he never served) and I let him have it. I told him I don't care who he votes for, but his behavior doesn't represent me, and if he contacted me again, I'd file harassment charges -and I blocked him on messenger. Two days later he sends a text, "I've been ordered to collect our patches from you. Namely our backpatch and alpha chapter." I told him I burned them and that if he contacted me again, I'd involve the police. So that's that. Always go with your gut.
Later in the conversation, she mentioned one of our mutual friends as being a veteran and that he would not have allowed anything like stolen valor. I told her he was not a veteran and that we actually both belonged to the same American Legion and he grew up hanging around the American Legion post, but he is a member of the Sons of the American Legion; he is not a Legionnaire, not a dual member, and he is not a veteran. We argued for about five minutes over this and I finally hung up.
I’m returning my colors tomorrow; I never even wore them but I don’t feel comfortable with this group now.
I see the draft notice as different from actually having served. Am I wrong?
03/16/2020 Edit: Yesterday, one of the members contacted me back and clarified, "The flag lines are for anyone we want to honor, first responders, military, and our families are very high on the list." As they say here in Phila, "I'm feelin some type of way about this." I told him he needs to educate the entire group on who their flag lines are for, and as a representative of the organization, the secretary should know better.
03/23/2020 Edit: The moto group is NOT the Legion Riders -just a local moto org that promotes themselves a veterans and first responders group)
09/07/20 Edit: Well, after much anxiety, I wanted to update about this. Covid hit and I haven't been back to that group. The Sgt at Arms felt I shouldn't make any hasty decisions, but I just knew it wasn't a right fit. More recently, after watching the group respond to peaceful BLM march with "No they don't" when marchers proclaimed, "Black Lives Matter," and screaming at the marchers "Black Lives Splatter," display their flag line as if fellow protesting citizens aren't patriotic, use the local VFW with confederate flags and a woman veteran screaming and flipping off protesters, and watching two of their trucks dump black diesel smoke right in front of peacefully marching protesters, I cut ties with the group by initially removing the vast majority from facebook. The very next day, their Sgt At Arms felt the need to send me a private message on FB, "I see you unfriended me, friend," with a big ole thumbs up, which I ignored. A few days later, he sent me this big long Trump rant about how he was supporting troops (he never served) and I let him have it. I told him I don't care who he votes for, but his behavior doesn't represent me, and if he contacted me again, I'd file harassment charges -and I blocked him on messenger. Two days later he sends a text, "I've been ordered to collect our patches from you. Namely our backpatch and alpha chapter." I told him I burned them and that if he contacted me again, I'd involve the police. So that's that. Always go with your gut.
The American Legion
Motorcycles
Selective Service (the Draft)
Stolen Valor
Edited >1 y ago
Posted 6 y ago
Responses: 92
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Sorry, but no. If you did not report to basic training and server a minimum of 90 days, you are not considered a veteran.
It is possible to be declared a veteran if you did not graduate from boot camp due to medical conditions and such, but not until the 90 day time has passed.
There were many who received draft notices and then, either were not medically fit enough to serve or were turned away for other reasons. Others simply did not show up or fled their responsibility.
It is possible to be declared a veteran if you did not graduate from boot camp due to medical conditions and such, but not until the 90 day time has passed.
There were many who received draft notices and then, either were not medically fit enough to serve or were turned away for other reasons. Others simply did not show up or fled their responsibility.
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He is a veteran of the mail. Everyone had to register for the draft in the 60's, 70's and 80's does that mean that everyone that turned 18 in those decades is a veteran?
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I know several people that gat their draft notice, but never served in the military. no they are not veterans!
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You are correct. No one is a veteran if they did not actually serve in the military.
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A draft notice was only that. The local draft board was notifying an individual that they were being drafted and ordering them to report first to the draft board in response to their notice (where the individual could “appeal” the notice) and then to send that person to the local Armed Forces Entrance and Examining Station (now called MEPS) for a pre-draft physical and mental exam. If the person passed and no exemption was given by the draft board then they were most likely sworn into the Army. There was a time when supposedly someone went down the line and told the draftees what branch they were drafted in to.
In 1970 one normally must have served 181 days (6 months and a day) to be considered a Veteran for VA Benefits. I retired in 2001 so I don’t know if the 181 days still holds true.
In 1970 one normally must have served 181 days (6 months and a day) to be considered a Veteran for VA Benefits. I retired in 2001 so I don’t know if the 181 days still holds true.
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No. Receiving a draft notice is not the same as serving. My Dad received a draft notice but he was rejected from the draft because he was working at NASA at the time as a wind tunnel technician.
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