The Controversial Vietnam War Draft and Its Consequences

October 30, 2023

The Vietnam War and the Draft

During the Vietnam War, millions of young men did everything they could to avoid being drafted. They enrolled in college and got student deferments, faked medical conditions, or fled to Canada.

The draft was the most controversial issue during the war. The US drafted two-thirds of its soldiers. But many resisted the draft by joining the antiwar movement.

It began in 1965

As the Vietnam War drew to a close, millions of young men faced a draft call. Many of these men were drafted into military service, even though they did not have the necessary skills or training to serve. The result was that the United States suffered disproportionate casualties from these under-qualified soldiers. A new book, McNamara’s Folly, by Hamilton Gregory, chronicles this tragic episode.

The escalation of the Vietnam War brought renewed scrutiny to the military draft system, which had been in place since World War II. Local draft boards weighed a variety of factors to determine whether or not a person should be called up, including family status, education, and financial privilege. Many people perceived the draft as a tool of social control, with wealthy families and political connections enjoying the benefits of deferment from service. Thousands of men attempted to evade the draft by burning their draft cards, which was a crime punishable with jail time.

It ended in 1973

In the late 1960s, draft resistance reached a fever pitch, fueled by antiwar protests on university campuses. Men sought to evade conscription by filing for conscientious objector status, not showing up for induction, or committing other violations of the law. Some men even fled the country to Canada to avoid service in Vietnam.

The 1969 Military Selective Service Act changed the way in which the draft was conducted, but college deferments remained in place. It also reduced the number of exemptions for civilians. However, local draft boards still had tremendous power to exempt people from the military, and many were under pressure from family members or wealthy neighbors. Nevertheless, the war in Vietnam needed a lot of manpower to win. Millions of young men tried to evade the draft by hiding out, feigning illness or fleeing the country. Others took a more public stand against the war by burning their draft cards. Ultimately, Congress allowed the draft to expire in 1973.

It was controversial

During the Vietnam War, there was a growing amount of controversy surrounding the draft. The draft was more controversial than during World War II because the American public was not signing up in droves to fight the war. Many young Americans felt that they were being forced into a war against their will and it led to a large number of people opting out of the draft. These people escaped the draft by going to Canada or by claiming various medical exemptions.

Another issue was the increasing unpopularity of the war, which fueled antiwar protests. The American public became disenchanted with the war because of accusations of racial discrimination and favoritism in draft selection, as well as reports of atrocities committed by the military in Vietnam. This included the My Lai massacre and other incidents of civilian casualties, including the bombing of villages. In addition, the American public was angered by the escalating body count and alleged torture of Vietnamese civilians by the troops.

It was a success

Before the Vietnam War, draftees accounted for only a small fraction of the military. But that changed as a result of Project 100,000, an under-researched program that sent thousands of men to fight in Vietnam who were not qualified for service. As Hamilton Gregory explains in McNamara’s Folly, these men suffered disproportionate casualties, and many of them returned to society stigmatized as failures.

As a result, public support for conscription fell precipitously. The government shifted to an all-volunteer army in 1973, and support for the draft has never returned to majority levels. The lesson is clear: A nation must choose to use the draft before it can be a reliable tool for increasing military strength. Otherwise, the country might find itself facing an armed conflict that it cannot win. In the end, the all-volunteer military has proved to be a successful system. It has also saved the Pentagon billions. But the Pentagon is still haunted by mistakes made during the draft era.

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