What did men do to avoid national service during the Vietnam war?
354728
Hi, originally they went to Sweden, but later in greater numbers to Canada, or (much less often) Mexico.\n\nAlso, in response to an earlier post, Sir Elton John is British so he would never have been drafted by the U.S. into the Vietnam War. :)
76605
President Jimmy Carter pardons nearly all Vietnam War draft evaders. ??????????????????????????????
818101
I think i know what you went through!..I spent 7 years in the Australian army, and did 3 tours to Vietnam!..Where i was then blown up 4 times by the Americans!..{mind you, they didn't discriminate, they blew each other up as well!}..But after 'demob' i found civilian life very difficult to fit back into!..I survived by going to university and getting a degree in Geology!..But i still found it hard to tolerate the odd thinking of civilians, did you notice that you didn't seem to fit in?..I wonder if this was just paranoia or what?..Many Vietvets just didn't handle it at all!..a lot went "bush" many commit ed suicide, others went insane!.Moving from one world into another so suddenly has to have some sort of effect on the unprepared mind, and i bet you were never prepared by the Army for it were you?.
523569
George W Bush\n\nHe "avoided" Vietnam by joining the National Guard.\n\n\nSo what? He didn't want his son to get killed in Vietnam, what father wouldn't use his influence to potentially save his son's life?\n\nIf you were able to do the same thing for your son, would you?
766796
I served in Vietnam from mid 1967 to Oct 1968.\nWas drafted and felt an obligation to serve.\nMy dad was in WWII for three years, his older brother was killed  in Europe and younger brother served during Korea. Grandpa was in WWI.  I went willingly to what was shaping up as a questionable war because I believed it was necessary to resist the spread of communism. I have since learned our presence in Vietnam did a lot of good. The communists spent so much time and resources in Vietnam they couldn't exert their influence elsewhere. So we did stop them from spreading through Asia.\n\nNone of my family knew it until I started searching our family history about seven years ago, GG-grampa served in the civil war.  GGGG-grampa was in the revoluitionary war and was attached to General George Washingtons' party.  So, it seems my ancestors have served in every major conflict that came along.
342061
It's one thing to not volunteer.  It's completely different during a draft when others are being forced into the military.  For example Bush used political connections to jump the line for the National Guard.  He got to stay home while someone else was forced to go to Vietnam.\n\nIn this war Bush has sent the Guardsmen into Iraq.  The very group that kept him safe during 'nam he is sending into combat today.
1066054
When america coerced the un to enter vietnam under the guise of atrocities commited by the north against the south. it was the south who tried to set up a puppet govt. When vietnam won indepenence from france it was only one country.Liberated by the communist regime.The usa could'nt coerce the un to invade iraq they went ahead anyway for some ulterior motive. Certainly not the stated reason In both wars it was absolute banditry they will be deafeted.No matter how strong you cannot break the will of the people
944475
I was drafted for the Vietnam War.  They didn't call it a war then, they called it a "police action."   I asked, the same question, "WHY?"  \n\nI think the answer was, "Because we CAN."
192689
The United States entered that war incrementally, in a series of steps between 1950 and 1965. In May 1950, President Harry S. Truman authorized a modest program of economic and military aid to the French, who were fighting to retain control of their Indochina colony, including Laos and Cambodia as well as Vietnam. When the Vietnamese Nationalist (and Communist-led) Vietminh army defeated French forces at Dienbienphu in 1954, the French were compelled to accede to the creation of a Communist Vietnam north of the 17th parallel while leaving a non-Communist entity south of that line. The United States refused to accept the arrangement. The administration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower undertook instead to build a nation from the spurious political entity that was South Vietnam by fabricating a government there, taking over control from the French, dispatching military advisers to train a South Vietnamese army, and unleashing the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to conduct psychological warfare against the North.\n\n\nhttp://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/vietnam/causes.htm
792432
There was a draft during vietnam, check out wiki for more info.  \n\nThe United States has employed conscription intermittently. For example, in 1863 the imposition of a draft during the Civil War touched off the New York Draft Riots. Conscription was next used after the United States entered World War I in 1917. The first peacetime conscription came with the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940. Active conscription ("the draft") ended in 1973. Currently, male U.S. citizens and many male foreigners living in the U.S., if aged eighteen through twenty five, are required to register [3] with the Selective Service System, whose mission is "to provide manpower to the armed forces in an emergency" including a "Health Care Personnel Delivery System" [4] and "to run an Alternative Service Program for men classified as conscientious objectors during a draft." No one has been prosecuted for violating the conscription law in the USA since 1986.
156565
The US was afraid of the "domino" effect.  They felt it necessary to stop the spread of communism because they felt if they did not stop it in Vietnam, the rest of the countries would be taken over by the communists.  I believe they took over from France.
124747
Cheney was of military age during the Vietnam War but he did not serve in the war. On May 19, 1965, Cheney was classified as 1-A "available for service" by the Selective Service. On October 26, 1965 the Selective Service lifted the constraints on drafting childless married men. However, after his daughter was born, Cheney applied for and received a reclassification of 3-A, gaining him a fifth draft deferment. Asked about his deferments, the future Defense Secretary said he had "other priorities than military service."
760040
During the Vietnam war many college students moved to Canada to avoid the draft.  In the unlikely event that the USA institutes the draft again, I think this will happen again. \n\nThe US government is well aware of this, but know that it very difficult to restrict the movement of Free Americans.\n\nAnyway, due to the unpopularity of the War in Iraq, I think the chances of the draft coming up again are next to zero.  Government try hard to avoid suicide.
553881
It was the Vietnam War.  Millions of gallons were used.  A whole lot.  Look it up on Wikipedia or do a google search.
210640
No. My war was during Vietnam.  Hopefully fewer and fewer will. I tend to think most of the young Republicans are chicken hawks, like Vice President Cheney who had 5 deferrments from the draft.  With the support for this war dropping, and a growing number of AWOLS and desertions, I am not so sure the military is so popular these days.  It is being used for a number of ungodly things these days, as the US is changed into an Evil Empire of its own. \n\nA number of friends of mine want their kids to keep avoiding the recruiters until this administration is gone and the war over.  Not this war, not this time.\n\nI wanted to add something: I joined the Navy during the Vietnam war way before I ever could have been drafted. \nAs a kid onboard a destroyer, I found the experience to be a very rewarding and meaningful experience. \nI would do the same thing all over again. \n\nHowever I can not find my way to support this war and this gang of thugs.  The problem is there are inherrent contradicitons.  The Vietnam war was just as immoral and Nixon was almost as evil as Bush...but I did not care.  I wanted to run away and go to sea.  I got to do that.\n\nBut Bungie, Yes, why NOT bring back the draft?  I don't see any domestic sacrafices being made if we are at war as the president says.  Reinstate the draft and let the chips fly.\nThe thing I won't do is show disrespect to whomever is serving or has served - I just may not agree with them.
399497
I understand exactly what you are experiencing.  I went in in 1966, went to Viet Nam and got out in 1970.  Everything I did for the next two years was hollow.  No sense of urgency, no real need for me, and I missed the JAZZ (to borrow a term from the A-Team).  I ended up going back to the Air Force in 1972.  You may be like I was.  If you are, nothing will fill that void except the military.  You need to be awakened at 0400 because someone needs you.  You need to work two or three back to back shifts because you are the only one with the skills necessary.\n\nThe only thing I really regret is the way the country is going.  There are people here who have no idea what is going on around them but they have the same rights as everyone else.  I was part of the mechanism that insured they could keep those rights.\n\nI have a friend who retired after I did, we communicate on a regular basis.  I have sent him dozens of articles about some dead head or another and all I ask is for him to tell me why we did the time.\n\nI sure this helps.  Best of luck in whatever YOU choose...
99135
Ike was thinking about using them. There were plans drawn up to use special weapons.(plans are always made for these things and file away in case they are needed. Supposedly there were nukes in country, but there WERE nukes with the fleet,Navy never leaves home without them. A nuke army officer begged to go on patrol to see what it was like in the bush,(he wasnt suppose to go) and his unit was ambushed, the theory was the North Vietnamese wanted to capture him, to use as propaganda and to get nuke secrets.he just escaped capture and got into lots of hot water. You can dig all these facts out of the net if you hunt for them.