Posted on Mar 11, 2016
What were your feelings and thoughts when you first opened your draft notice?
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This question is for our Vietnam era Veterans here on RallyPoint. Share with us what your feelings were when you first received and opened your draft notice.
The Comments Here are Historical and Awesome!
What was your stance on the war? Explain your opinion
Did your parents put ideas into your head about the war that you didn't nessisarly believe in?
The Comments Here are Historical and Awesome!
What was your stance on the war? Explain your opinion
Did your parents put ideas into your head about the war that you didn't nessisarly believe in?
What Would You Do
Warfare
Service
Vietnam War
Edited 4 y ago
Posted 8 y ago
Responses: 917
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I had already signed up for 3, and was in basic when my number came up...342
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Thank you to COL Mikel J. Burroughs and all of you who shared your draft and Vietnam war experience.
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A1C (Join to see)
COL Burroughs, you are certainly welcome, and I am delighted you asked this question.
The end of the draft in 1972/73 marked a tremendous change in the lives of American youth for those born after 1954 until now. For those subject to the draft, your life was one of uncertainty. You could not get a good job. If you had a girlfriend, it was a tenuous situation at best, and if you wanted one, your chances were very slim. If you were lucky enough to be in college, you faced hatchet classes like English and Biology that had 50% or higher washout rates for males, but less than 5% for females. I always thought there was a conspiracy in the college system to cull out the draft eligible males.
Ron Winkles, MAJ, US Army (Retired)
The end of the draft in 1972/73 marked a tremendous change in the lives of American youth for those born after 1954 until now. For those subject to the draft, your life was one of uncertainty. You could not get a good job. If you had a girlfriend, it was a tenuous situation at best, and if you wanted one, your chances were very slim. If you were lucky enough to be in college, you faced hatchet classes like English and Biology that had 50% or higher washout rates for males, but less than 5% for females. I always thought there was a conspiracy in the college system to cull out the draft eligible males.
Ron Winkles, MAJ, US Army (Retired)
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I was too young. It ended the year I graduated from H.S. Oldest brother got high number in lottery and middle brother was a tad too young. They both enlisted later anyway. God Bless those that did get letters though. Many volunteered and many that were drafted served. Some chose to leave the country and I won't judge them because that is their private decision. Over 57,000 gave all they would ever have. Many were never even welcomed home, so Welcome Home to all that served. Just like the many before you, the Nation owes a debt of gratitude.
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Well, I never got one... But, I would say, what CPT Jack Durish said would be close... WTF...
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I had acquaintances/friends a few years older that might of got sucked up in the draft.. they kept their mouths shut, joined the AF Reserve and Air Guard just in case s'thing got hot in the next yeAr or so.. nothing did for them though, they all got high numbers and were all proud to have served, they wanted to do it on their own volition.. A few of them made it a career...
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The Draft had already ended by the time I joined in '70(AFRESERVE). I was too young then anyway. I later switched over to regular AF (I'd already told that story)...
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Suspended Profile
Registered one day, enlisted the next. Draft or not, I was going. I wanted to go. Let's do this!!
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My lottery number was in the mid-nineties but I knew from the time I was six years old that I would be a soldier and by the time I was eight, I had decided on the Infantry. I tried to understand the Viet Nam war and the great resistance to it by others my age. Being a good bit the idealist, I felt that if our government thought we should be there, then that is how it should be. I felt at the time that those who ran to Canada or protested the war were cowards without honor.
Liberating the oppressed and expanding liberty in the process seemed like a nobel cause.
In December of '68 at the age of 17 I reported for my physical at old Ft. Wayne in Detroit and enlisted on January 18th on the delayed entry program. Following high school graduation the following May of '69 I found myself at Ft. Polk, LA when two weeks into BCT I was called to see the 1st Sgt., who asked my why I was there. (???)
I told him I was "simply a trainee who had been sent there like so many others, why?" He told me I was supposed to be at Ft. Lewis and I could go if I wanted to - I declined. (Never did figure out what that was all about)
The next stop was Tiger Land where I finished my training with C-1-3 and that is when the next adventure began. But that is a story for another day.
Liberating the oppressed and expanding liberty in the process seemed like a nobel cause.
In December of '68 at the age of 17 I reported for my physical at old Ft. Wayne in Detroit and enlisted on January 18th on the delayed entry program. Following high school graduation the following May of '69 I found myself at Ft. Polk, LA when two weeks into BCT I was called to see the 1st Sgt., who asked my why I was there. (???)
I told him I was "simply a trainee who had been sent there like so many others, why?" He told me I was supposed to be at Ft. Lewis and I could go if I wanted to - I declined. (Never did figure out what that was all about)
The next stop was Tiger Land where I finished my training with C-1-3 and that is when the next adventure began. But that is a story for another day.
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