A lottery drawing – the first since 1942 – was held on December 1, 1969, at
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.
Draft-age men were assigned a number between one and 366, depending on their birthday. The lowest numbers were called first. This was all entirely at random.
All men of draft age (born January 1, 1944 to December 31, 1950) who shared a birth date would be called to serve at once. The first 195 birthdates drawn were later called to serve in the order they were drawn; the last of these was September 24.
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.
The first men drafted would be those turning age 20 during the calendar year of the lottery.
1. Be a Conscientious Objector. Jehovah's Witnesses, Mennonites, the Amish, and Quakers are all considered Peace Churches who are opposed to any kind of military service. They were allowed to serve in other ways, however, but in a civilian capacity.
What was the highest number called in the 1969 draft lottery? The highest lottery number drafted that year was 195.
Myth: Common belief is that most Vietnam veterans were drafted. Fact: 2/3 of the men who served in Vietnam were volunteers. 2/3 of the men who served in World War II were drafted. Approximately 70% of those killed in Vietnam were volunteers.
The highest lottery number called for this group was 125; all men assigned that lottery number or any lower number, and who were classified as available for military service, were called to report for possible induction. N71 gives the results of the lottery held on August 5, 1971, for men born in 1952.
Present - The U.S. currently operates under an all-volunteer armed forces policy. All male citizens between the ages of 18 and 26 are required to register for the draft and are liable for training and service until the age of 35.
Obtaining conscientious objector status by professing insincere religious or ethical beliefs. Obtaining a student deferment, if the student wishes to attend or remain in school largely to avoid the draft. Claiming a medical or psychological problem, if the purported problem is feigned, overstated, or self-inflicted.
The draft lottery was based on birth dates. There were 366 blue plastic capsules containing birth dates (including February 29) placed into a deep glass container. The capsules were drawn by hand, opened one by one and then assigned to a sequence number started from 001 until 366.
The Pentagon's response to the question about combat deaths by draftees showed that as of June 30, 1969, 11,946 out of 36,954 Americans killed in action were draftees. Of the total deaths, 23,366 were in the army, and 11,322 were army draftees. The 520 other draftee deaths were in the Marine Corps.
Service Records
The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis maintains Vietnam War Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF). Access to Non-Archival Military Service Records is limited. Non-Archival records are those of service members who separated from the military less than 62 years ago.
Theoretically, yes, but the possibility of that happening is slim. Fleury says that by law, the government can require only that men register. The government would need to enact new legislation to actually put men in arms. "I would also say that the likelihood of a draft is astronomically small," Fleury says.
If you are required to register and you do not, you will not be eligible for state-based student aid in many states, federal job training, or a federal job. You may be prosecuted and face a fine of up to $250,000 and jail time of up to five years.
The Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File of the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Extract Files contains records of 58,220 U.S. military fatal casualties of the Vietnam War.
the “only son”, “the last son to carry the family name,” and ” sole surviving son” must register with Selective Service. These sons can be drafted. However, they may be entitled to peacetime deferment if there is a military death in the immediate family.
Having a felony on your name does not mean that you will not receive a call. In times of war and emergency, your criminal record is not a matter of concern to the military. What you can do to save your country from enemy forces is. If you are fit enough for the role, you will receive a draft notice from the military.
According to a 1978 book by former members of President Gerald Ford's Clemency Board, 210,000 Americans were accused of draft offenses and 30,000 left the country. A recent estimate is that 60,000 to 100,000 left the U.S., mainly for Canada or Sweden.
While women officers and enlisted personnel serve with distinction in the U.S. Armed Forces, women have never been subject to Selective Service registration or a military draft in America. Those women who served in the past and those who serve today in ever increasing numbers all volunteered for military service.
1-Y – Registrant qualified for service only in time of war or national emergency.
You can still serve the U.S. Armed Forces if you are obese by receiving a medical waiver. Approximately 20% of new recruits need a waiver for their weight to attend boot camp. However, those that receive a waiver must lose weight and reach minimum requirements prior to the end of boot camp to continue training.