When was the last draft for Vietnam?

The last draft call was on December 7, 1972, and the authority to induct expired on June 30, 1973. The date of the last drawing for the lottery was on March 12, 1975. Registration with the Selective Service System

Selective Service System

What is Selective Service registration? Registration is a way our government keeps a list of names of men from which to draw in case of a national emergency requiring rapid expansion of our Armed Forces. By registering all young men, Selective Service ensures that a future draft will be fair and equitable.

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Frequently Asked Questions - Selective Service System

was suspended on April 1, 1975, and registrant processing was suspended on January 27, 1976.

When did us stop drafting for Vietnam?

On Jan. 27, 1973, with the Paris Peace Accords signed and U.S. involvement in Vietnam over, Defense Secretary Melvin R. Laird announced the end of the military draft, after 25 uninterrupted years of conscription.

Who was the last person drafted in the Vietnam War?

Chief Warrant Officer 5 Ralph E. Rigby, the last Vietnam War-era drafted soldier of Warrant Officer rank, retired from the army on November 10, 2014, after a 42-year career. December 28, 1972 had been scheduled to be the last day that draftees would be inducted that year.

What were the chances of being drafted in Vietnam?

Although only 25 percent of the military force in the combat zones were draftees, the system of conscription caused many young American men to volunteer for the armed forces in order to have more of a choice of which division in the military they would serve.

Did they draft by birthday for Vietnam?

As the war went on, selective service requirements, deferments and exemptions changed in an effort to make the draft appear more fair. One of those changes was the institution of a draft lottery, which gave young men a random number between 1 and 366 corresponding to their birthdays. Lower numbers were called first.

The Vietnam War Draft

Can you refuse Vietnam draft?

The large cohort of Baby Boomers allowed for a steep increase in the number of exemptions and deferments, especially for college and graduate students. More than half of the 27 million men eligible for the draft during the Vietnam War were deferred, exempted or disqualified.

Did college get you out of the Vietnam draft?

College undergraduate and graduate students were automatically awarded draft status 2-S–deferment for postsecondary education–and could not be forced to serve. For those opposed to the war, it was a get-out-of-jail-free card.

Who Cannot be drafted?

Ministers. Certain elected officials, exempt so long as they continue to hold office. Veterans, generally exempt from service in peacetime draft. Immigrants and dual nationals in some cases may be exempt from U.S. military service depending upon their place of residence and country of citizenship.

What percentage of draftees died in Vietnam?

limbs, 1,081 sustained multiple amputations. rate of 18.4% compared to 5.7% in WWII. POW: 766, of whom 114 died in captivity. Draftees accounted for 30.4% (17,725) of combat deaths in Vietnam.

What disqualifies you from a draft?

Were any US soldiers left in Vietnam?

Since the war's end, official U.S. government investigations have consistently concluded that no military personnel remain alive in Vietnam.

How old was too old for the Vietnam draft?

Before the lottery was implemented in the latter part of the Vietnam conflict, there was no system in place to determine order of call besides the fact that men between the ages of 18 and 26 were vulnerable to being drafted. Local boards called men classified 1-A, 18-1/2 through 25 years old, oldest first.

What is the draft age limit?

If Congress and the president authorize a draft: The Selective Service System will start calling registered men ages 18-25 for duty. The men will be called in a sequence determined by random lottery number and year of birth.

Could the US reinstate the draft?

Can the US still institute a draft? Draft induction authority expired in 1973. It would take an act of Congress to reinstate the draft. The president would then be authorized to induct civilians through the Selective Service Administration into the armed forces under an amendment to the Military Selective Service Act.

Who gets drafted first for war?

According to the selective service, if a draft were held today, those who are 20 years old -- or turning 20 during the year in which the numbers are drawn -- would be the first to go.

What was the highest draft number called in 1971?

The APN (highest number) called for a physical was 215 for tables 1970 through 1976. The last draft call was on December 7, 1972, and the authority to induct expired on June 30, 1973.

What was the deadliest job in the Vietnam War?

Overall, the U.S. military used nearly 12,000 helicopters in Vietnam, of which more than 5,000 were destroyed. To be a helicopter pilot or crew member was among the most dangerous jobs in the war.

What was the worst day in the Vietnam War?

The deadliest day of the Vietnam War for the U.S. was 31 January at the start of the Tet Offensive when 246 Americans were killed in action.

How tall is too tall for the military?

The ideal height requirement for men in the military is between 60-80 inches / 152-203 cm. Anyone above or below this requirement is likely to get rejected.

Can you refuse to be drafted?

Service as a Conscientious Objector

Two types of service are available to conscientious objectors, and the type assigned is determined by the individual's specific beliefs. The person who is opposed to any form of military service will be assigned to alternative service – described below.

What age is the female draft?

As of January 2016, there has been no decision to require females to register with Selective Service, or be subject to a future military draft. Selective Service continues to register only men, ages 18 through 25.

Which president ended the draft?

President Nixon announces the cancellation of the draft calls for November and December.

Who was mostly drafted in Vietnam?

Most of U.S. soldiers drafted during the Vietnam War were men from poor and working-class families. These were young men who were not going get a college deferment, have a political connection, or have a family doctor that could give them a medical deferment.

Was the Vietnam draft Unfair?

The Selective Service System during the Vietnam war was highly controversial, especially because early in the war draftees came disproportionately from poor, working-class, rural, and minority populations.