Shipboard Service Is Harsh.

[Sunni Man]

Neither the Navy or the Air Force required conscripts to fill their ranks during the Vietnam war.

That's because they had more that enough volunteers who were scared they would be drafted into the Army or the Marines.

Contrary to popular belief, the Marines did draft a small number of people. On the day of my induction, after about 50 of us had sworn the oath, the Army Sergeant in charge told me and another fellow to come to the front of the room. I knew something was up because we were the only two draftees that had long hippy style hair. He then asked the Marine Sergeant if he needed a couple of people today to fill his quota?

I was sweating bullets, because I had heard that draftees were given a hard time in the Marines, since all the other soldiers had volunteered.

So it was a great relief when the Marine Sergeant looked at his paperwork, and said that he already had all the men he needed that day. .....

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

The vast majority of draftees were fuck-ups who were simply too stupid to be able to find a way to dodge the draft. Many were given a choice of jail or the Army.
There were some righteous individuals who went voluntarily after being drafted, but that was not generally the case.

Exactly how would you know this retard?

People weren't drafted into the Navy, so obviously you didn't serve with draftees.

You are just posting more idiotic BS as usual. .....

No, unlike you Methuselah, I was too young to serve in Vietnam, but there were still people who joined the Navy during Vietnam serving with me in the late 1970s.

Try reading some history instead of making in up in your demented imagination.

I was also a Navy recruiter and an educator. I know what is available out there in the population to a much better level than you do.

 

[longknife]

No one in the military wants the derelicts, criminals, and no-loads that are produced by the draft.

I was drafted for Vietnam and did my 2 years Army 1970-71

Contrary to what Admiral dickwad says, the vast majority of draftees were just regular kids fresh out of high school from all over the nation. Although most weren't happy to have been drafted. We did our part and received honorable discharges when the 2 years ended. ....

Some of te finest soldiers I served with were draftees.

 

[longknife]

No one in the military wants the derelicts, criminals, and no-loads that are produced by the draft.

I was drafted for Vietnam and did my 2 years Army 1970-71

Contrary to what Admiral dickwad says, the vast majority of draftees were just regular kids fresh out of high school from all over the nation. Although most weren't happy to have been drafted. We did our part and received honorable discharges when the 2 years ended. ....

The vast majority of draftees were fuck-ups who were simply too stupid to be able to find a way to dodge the draft. Many were given a choice of jail or the Army.

There were some righteous individuals who went voluntarily after being drafted, but that was not generally the case.

Where the hell did you serve? Sure wasn't like that in the Army!

 

[longknife]

When I was drafted and I went thru a line, a navy guy was standing there with a stamp and took my hand and stamped "Navy" on it. The last thing I wanted was navy and I had to talk an ensign out my future navy career. The ensign finally had me stamped "Army" and I was ready to go to war.

I served as a personnel sergeant for the majority of my 23 years and I never once heard of this.

 

[usmcstinger]

I avoided the Draft during Vietnam. I enlisted in the USMC and served as a Grunt in Vietnam with the 1st Bn 4th Marines 67-68.

 

[MikeK]

I avoided the Draft during Vietnam. I enlisted in the USMC and served as a Grunt in Vietnam with the 1st Bn 4th Marines 67-68.

I avoided the Draft by joining the Corps in 1956. I was separated in 1960. My two-year Inactive Reserve obligation expired right before Vietnam jumped off, so I was free and clear. And based on what I'd heard about that abortion I was glad of it.

My favorite cousin, "TJ," was drafted when he turned nineteen and was KIA five weeks after arriving in 'Nam. Very, very pissed off about that. We had no business being there.

Semper Fi.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

No one in the military wants the derelicts, criminals, and no-loads that are produced by the draft.

I was drafted for Vietnam and did my 2 years Army 1970-71

Contrary to what Admiral dickwad says, the vast majority of draftees were just regular kids fresh out of high school from all over the nation. Although most weren't happy to have been drafted. We did our part and received honorable discharges when the 2 years ended. ....

Some of te finest soldiers I served with were draftees.

Nobody said there were not exceptions to the rule.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

When I was drafted and I went thru a line, a navy guy was standing there with a stamp and took my hand and stamped "Navy" on it. The last thing I wanted was navy and I had to talk an ensign out my future navy career. The ensign finally had me stamped "Army" and I was ready to go to war.

I served as a personnel sergeant for the majority of my 23 years and I never once heard of this.

That's because he made it up!

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

No one in the military wants the derelicts, criminals, and no-loads that are produced by the draft.

I was drafted for Vietnam and did my 2 years Army 1970-71

Contrary to what Admiral dickwad says, the vast majority of draftees were just regular kids fresh out of high school from all over the nation. Although most weren't happy to have been drafted. We did our part and received honorable discharges when the 2 years ended. ....

The vast majority of draftees were fuck-ups who were simply too stupid to be able to find a way to dodge the draft. Many were given a choice of jail or the Army.

There were some righteous individuals who went voluntarily after being drafted, but that was not generally the case.

Where the hell did you serve? Sure wasn't like that in the Army!

How many tours did you do in Vietnam? I had two uncles that served their entire careers in the Army and four cousins who served in Vietnam. None of them were drafted and they had no kind words for dealing with draftees.

I served with only one sailor that I can recall who was being drafted but enlisted in the Navy instead. The rest of us were about 3-5 years too late for the draft.

 

[regent]

When I was drafted and I went thru a line, a navy guy was standing there with a stamp and took my hand and stamped "Navy" on it. The last thing I wanted was navy and I had to talk an ensign out my future navy career. The ensign finally had me stamped "Army" and I was ready to go to war.

I served as a personnel sergeant for the majority of my 23 years and I never once heard of this.

That's because he made it up!

You might want to do your homework on my short term in the navy. I'm sure I was not the only one stamped navy that day. I can probably even dig up the day and location. Undoubtedly there were others stamped navy that day and I can understand your lack of history because I might have been your commanding officer. Keep em flying.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

When I was drafted and I went thru a line, a navy guy was standing there with a stamp and took my hand and stamped "Navy" on it. The last thing I wanted was navy and I had to talk an ensign out my future navy career. The ensign finally had me stamped "Army" and I was ready to go to war.

I served as a personnel sergeant for the majority of my 23 years and I never once heard of this.

That's because he made it up!

You might want to do your homework on my short term in the navy. I'm sure I was not the only one stamped navy that day. I can probably even dig up the day and location. Undoubtedly there were others stamped navy that day and I can understand your lack of history because I might have been your commanding officer. Keep em flying.

Hilarious! Did you make that up just like your story? I suggest a more believable plot line if you are going into writing fiction full time.

BTW, Ensigns don't have anything to do with recruiting or processing recruits. You were probably suffering from a hangover and had no clue as to what you were doing and this was all just some bad dream.

 

[WinterBorn]

A ship feels like prison to that guy? lmao

Try doing patrols on an FBM submarine. But the food was good, so there was that.

 

[regent]

When I was drafted and I went thru a line, a navy guy was standing there with a stamp and took my hand and stamped "Navy" on it. The last thing I wanted was navy and I had to talk an ensign out my future navy career. The ensign finally had me stamped "Army" and I was ready to go to war.

I served as a personnel sergeant for the majority of my 23 years and I never once heard of this.

That's because he made it up!

You might want to do your homework on my short term in the navy. I'm sure I was not the only one stamped navy that day. I can probably even dig up the day and location. Undoubtedly there were others stamped navy that day and I can understand your lack of history because I might have been your commanding officer. Keep em flying.

Hilarious! Did you make that up just like your story? I suggest a more believable plot line if you are going into writing fiction full time.

BTW, Ensigns don't have anything to do with recruiting or processing recruits. You were probably suffering from a hangover and had no clue as to what you were doing and this was all just some bad dream.

Exec order 9279 issued on Dec 5,1942 changed enlistment procedures and marines, navy, army and all were then drafted. By war's end about 224,000 marines were drafted,

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

When I was drafted and I went thru a line, a navy guy was standing there with a stamp and took my hand and stamped "Navy" on it. The last thing I wanted was navy and I had to talk an ensign out my future navy career. The ensign finally had me stamped "Army" and I was ready to go to war.

I served as a personnel sergeant for the majority of my 23 years and I never once heard of this.

That's because he made it up!

You might want to do your homework on my short term in the navy. I'm sure I was not the only one stamped navy that day. I can probably even dig up the day and location. Undoubtedly there were others stamped navy that day and I can understand your lack of history because I might have been your commanding officer. Keep em flying.

Hilarious! Did you make that up just like your story? I suggest a more believable plot line if you are going into writing fiction full time.

BTW, Ensigns don't have anything to do with recruiting or processing recruits. You were probably suffering from a hangover and had no clue as to what you were doing and this was all just some bad dream.

Exec order 9279 issued on Dec 5,1942 changed enlistment procedures and marines, navy, army and all were then drafted. By war's end about 224,000 marines were drafted,

Yeah, we were talking about WW II weren't we? Oh, wait! No, we were not!

FAIL!

 

[EGR one]

When I was drafted and I went thru a line, a navy guy was standing there with a stamp and took my hand and stamped "Navy" on it. The last thing I wanted was navy and I had to talk an ensign out my future navy career. The ensign finally had me stamped "Army" and I was ready to go to war.

I served as a personnel sergeant for the majority of my 23 years and I never once heard of this.

That's because he made it up!

You might want to do your homework on my short term in the navy. I'm sure I was not the only one stamped navy that day. I can probably even dig up the day and location. Undoubtedly there were others stamped navy that day and I can understand your lack of history because I might have been your commanding officer. Keep em flying.

Hilarious! Did you make that up just like your story? I suggest a more believable plot line if you are going into writing fiction full time.

BTW, Ensigns don't have anything to do with recruiting or processing recruits. You were probably suffering from a hangover and had no clue as to what you were doing and this was all just some bad dream.

I respectfully disagree Admiral. When I went through the Denver induction center in July 1959, there were junior officers aplenty. When I went back through the same center in 1966, it was the same.

I joined the US Navy as a kiddie cruiser at 17, one and a half months before my 18th birthday. Two years into my first hitch, I received a letter (addressed to me through an FPO) that I had failed to register for the draft, and would be receiving a draft notice. Two weeks later it arrived. My command had a hell of a time convincing the draft board that they were not about to allow me to be drafted into the army.

In 20 years, I served aboard several different aircraft carriers, took a 9 day cruise from Hawaii to Japan on an MSTS, and one 5 day trip on a replenishment ship to catch a carrier in the Med.

Except for the 12 hour shifts, 7 days a week, while at sea, aircraft carriers are not too bad. I can't speak for life on destroyers, cruisers, etc.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

When I was drafted and I went thru a line, a navy guy was standing there with a stamp and took my hand and stamped "Navy" on it. The last thing I wanted was navy and I had to talk an ensign out my future navy career. The ensign finally had me stamped "Army" and I was ready to go to war.

I served as a personnel sergeant for the majority of my 23 years and I never once heard of this.

That's because he made it up!

You might want to do your homework on my short term in the navy. I'm sure I was not the only one stamped navy that day. I can probably even dig up the day and location. Undoubtedly there were others stamped navy that day and I can understand your lack of history because I might have been your commanding officer. Keep em flying.

Hilarious! Did you make that up just like your story? I suggest a more believable plot line if you are going into writing fiction full time.

BTW, Ensigns don't have anything to do with recruiting or processing recruits. You were probably suffering from a hangover and had no clue as to what you were doing and this was all just some bad dream.

I respectfully disagree Admiral. When I went through the Denver induction center in July 1959, there were junior officers aplenty. When I went back through the same center in 1966, it was the same.

I joined the US Navy as a kiddie cruiser at 17, one and a half months before my 18th birthday. Two years into my first hitch, I received a letter (addressed to me through an FPO) that I had failed to register for the draft, and would be receiving a draft notice. Two weeks later it arrived. My command had a hell of a time convincing the draft board that they were not about to allow me to be drafted into the army.

In 20 years, I served aboard several different aircraft carriers, took a 9 day cruise from Hawaii to Japan on an MSTS, and one 5 day trip on a replenishment ship to catch a carrier in the Med.

Except for the 12 hour shifts, 7 days a week, while at sea, aircraft carriers are not too bad. I can't speak for life on destroyers, cruisers, etc.

You went back nearly 60 years? My God man, they still were stoning decks on ships back then!

Can we get a little closer to today and not when Noah was a Midshipman?

 

[whitehall]

A fellow I grew up with joined the Navy a few months before I joined the Marines. Many years later when we sat talking in a bar and he lamented about his Navy experience it occurred to me that what he'd endured was psychologically more demanding and difficult than my experience in the Corps, which was pretty damn rough at times -- especially during boot camp. He talked about extreme confinement, constant cleaning, paint scraping, a tiny sleeping space, and a lot more -- things I don't think I could have put up with. Interestingly, he said he didn't join the Marines because what he'd heard about it was beyond his tolerance level. But the things he told me painted a different picture.

I was in FMF (Fleet Marine Force) so I spent a fair amount of time on APAs. We didn't have much contact with the sailors so I couldn't determine much about their average daily experience, but it did seem to involve a lot of repetitive physical work. The only ones who appeared to have it relatively easy were the medics, especially the ones who trained with us. The "docs" were virtual Marines. They wore Marine Corps fatigues and casual uniforms but with Navy insignia and they lived in our barracks.

PS: I hate being on ships. I don't like anything about it and I get sea-sick, which is utter misery.

I was a FMF Marine and I spent about a month on an old tub the USS Boxer LPH 4 (at that time) with about a thousand other Marines. I remember salt water showers when they ran low on fresh water. For my money life on a LST (USS De Soto County) was better but the flat bottom was a killer if you were prone to sea sickness.

 

[MikeK]

I was a FMF Marine and I spent about a month on an old tub the USS Boxer LPH 4 (at that time) with about a thousand other Marines. I remember salt water showers when they ran low on fresh water. For my money life on a LST (USS De Soto County) was better but the flat bottom was a killer if you were prone to sea sickness.

Some people are exceptionally prone to seasickness -- and I am one of them!

I was among the first to board a Japan-bound APA, which got me routed to a bottom rack in the very bow, which is the worst possible place to be for one who is prone to seasickness. Because the rise and fall of the bow in rough weather is literal torture for one who is sea-sick. And I was so miserably sick I recall seriously thinking about jumping overboard if I were able to climb the ladders and find my way to the main deck -- which I wasn't. I was suicidally seasick, and that's no lie.

I eventually learned that, in addition to Dramamine tablets, downing a whole sleeve of saltine crackers will prevent or quickly relieve the misery of seasickness. I did that every time I boarded a ship after that horrible experience and it always worked.

Saltine crackers.

 

[whitehall]

I was a FMF Marine and I spent about a month on an old tub the USS Boxer LPH 4 (at that time) with about a thousand other Marines. I remember salt water showers when they ran low on fresh water. For my money life on a LST (USS De Soto County) was better but the flat bottom was a killer if you were prone to sea sickness.

Some people are exceptionally prone to seasickness -- and I am one of them!

I was among the first to board a Japan-bound APA, which got me routed to a bottom rack in the very bow, which is the worst possible place to be for one who is prone to seasickness. Because the rise and fall of the bow in rough weather is literal torture for one who is sea-sick. And I was so miserably sick I recall seriously thinking about jumping overboard if I were able to climb the ladders and find my way to the main deck -- which I wasn't. I was suicidally seasick, and that's no lie.

I eventually learned that, in addition to Dramamine tablets, downing a whole sleeve of saltine crackers will prevent or quickly relieve the misery of seasickness. I did that every time I boarded a ship after that horrible experience and it always worked.

Saltine crackers.

I was a field radio operator when we practiced wet net landings off troop ships climbing over the side into the little Mike boats my wireman was always immediately sick. The poor guy would position himself downwind in the back of the landing craft where his puke would not hit anyone and the circling sharks got a free meal.