[kach22i]

Originally posted by David McLaughlin
Didn't work in my case. My father was killed when I was 13mos old. His last days are published in "six silent men" (third book in the series)

Post 1970 then?

http://www.dkosopedia.com/index.php/The_Draft

The Vietnam Draft had two major anomalies which forced changes in the system. College deferments, fatherhood deferments and disqualifying injuries exempted many middle class men from service in Vietnam. The National Guard, which was only deployed to Vietnam in limited numbers, also served as a safe haven for those seeking to avoid combat duty.

The lesser known exception was Project 100,000.

The Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) places servicemen in five catagories, the lowest, IV and V are usually exempted from service for being too stupid to serve. But in 1966, then Secretary of Defense McNamara decided to draft these men, in order to give them useful skills and improve their literacy. Instead, most were shoved into combat units, leading to decreased effectiveness. In 1970, the draft was changed to a lottery, with far fewer exemptions, and is still presently the system we have today.

It wasn't until Vietnam that people began to object to the draft in a serious way. While some people had tried to avoid service in Korea, the use of National Guard units and a widespread use of reserves provided no safe harbor, despite the war's unpopularity.