Which president started the draft for Vietnam?

Kennedy, who began the escalation of the American military presence in Vietnam, also defended the peacetime draft and the Selective Service in 1962 statement, stating that “I cannot think of any branch of our government in the last two decades where there have been so few complaints about inequity.” One year later, the ...

When did the US start drafting for the Vietnam War?

December 1, 1969, was the first draft lottery held since 1942, during World War II. This drawing determined the order of induction for men born between January 1, 1944 and December 31, 1950.

WHO issued the Vietnam draft?

In 1965, President Johnson doubled monthly draft calls to 35,000. Local draft boards called up registered males and evaluated them for service. These boards were often made up of military veterans, who granted exemptions and deferments for a variety of reasons such as medical issues and student status.

Which president ordered the draft?

The 1940 law instituted conscription in peacetime, requiring the registration of all men between 21 and 35. President Roosevelt's signing of the Selective Training and Service Act on September 16, 1940, began the first peacetime draft in the United States.

Who stopped the Vietnam draft?

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.

The Vietnam War Draft

How many years did the Vietnam draft last?

The military draft brought the war to the American home front. During the Vietnam War era, between 1964 and 1973, the U.S. military drafted 2.2 million American men out of an eligible pool of 27 million.

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.

Which president sent the most troops to Vietnam?

Johnson: Foreign Affairs. The major initiative in the Lyndon Johnson presidency was the Vietnam War. By 1968, the United States had 548,000 troops in Vietnam and had already lost 30,000 Americans there.

What birthdays were called for the Vietnam draft?

A lottery drawing – the first since 1942 – was held on December 1, 1969, at Selective Service National Headquarters in Washington, D.C. This event determined the order of call for induction during calendar year 1970; that is, for registrants born between January 1, 1944, and December 31, 1950.

What president started the military draft?

On Sept. 16, 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the Selective Training and Service Act, which was another name for the draft. It required all men between the ages of 21 and 45 to register for the draft.

How did the rich avoid the draft in Vietnam?

Forge military ID or reserve papers.

Some men in northern states formed groups which made fraudulent National Guard or Reserve papers, identifying men who bore them as having already enlisted. For upward of $5,000, men could acquire these papers and take them to the local draft board to be relieved of their obligation.

How did they choose who to draft 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.

Who qualified for the Vietnam draft?

On December 1, 1969, the Selective Service System of the United States conducted two lotteries to determine the order of call to military service in the Vietnam War in the year 1970, for men born from January 1, 1944 to December 31, 1950.

How long did drafted men serve in Vietnam?

Only 20-25% of draftees served in Vietnam. The rest were either stationed stateside or sent to Europe to free up volunteer soldiers to serve in Vietnam. Conscription was for 2 years. The first year was for Basic Training followed by Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) training at a branch School.

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.

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.

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 oldest age to be drafted?

All men 18 years and older had to register with the Selective Service. All men between the ages of 18 to 25 were eligible to be drafted for a service requirement of 21 months.

What was the highest lottery number drafted in 1969?

What was the highest number called in the 1969 draft lottery? The highest lottery number drafted that year was 195.

What was JFK's role in the Vietnam War?

Kennedy became president. In May 1961, JFK authorized sending an additional 500 Special Forces troops and military advisors to assist the pro‑Western government of South Vietnam. By the end of 1962, there were approximately 11,000 military advisors in South Vietnam.

Why did JFK send troops to Vietnam in 1961?

Kennedy was concerned at the advances being made by the communist Viet Cong, but did not want to become involved in a land war in Vietnam. He hoped that the military aid would be sufficient to strengthen the Saigon government and its armed forces against the Viet Cong.

Was Vietnam ever declared a war?

Since 1941 Congress has declared war only six times, all during World War II. Congress authorized troop deployment in Vietnam, but, because it did not issue a declaration of war on North Vietnam or the Viet Cong, the Vietnam War is, technically speaking, not considered a war in the United States.

Can you refuse Vietnam draft?

There were two kinds of methods to avoid being drafted when you number was called: illegal and legal. There were a few laws in place relevant to Selective Service meant to keep necessary men in their homes and with their families. Purposely pursuing a legal waiver or deferment for any reason is draft avoidance.

What stops you from getting drafted?

Asthma, mental health issues and ADHD top the list of maladies that keep the recruiters at bay, says Mission: Readiness. Even those who currently serve can have health-related issues that keep them from deploying, such as dental problems and recurring injuries.

What politicians dodged the draft?

By 2006 politicians whom opponents had accused of improperly avoiding the draft included George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and Bill Clinton. Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney's deferment has been questioned.