When I signed up for the draft in Aug 1971

[ginscpy]

shortly before my 18 birthday I went to the Selective Service office ,

Had visions of ricepaddies in Nam

But I believedi n my country .

 

[ginscpy]

I think the dates are mostly true

 

[there4eyeM]

shortly before my 18 birthday I went to the Selective Service office ,

Had visions of ricepaddies in Nam

But I believedi n my country .

And those who pushed for peace and avoidance of mistakes believed, also.

 

[Bfgrn]

shortly before my 18 birthday I went to the Selective Service office ,

Had visions of ricepaddies in Nam

But I believedi n my country .

You signed up for the draft in 1971 because of what occurred at 12:30 CST on November 22, 1963.

President Kennedy's Television Interviews on Vietnam
September 2 and 9, 1963

MR. CRONKITE. Mr. President, the only hot war we've got running at the moment is of course the one in Viet-Nam, and we have our difficulties here, quite obviously.

PRESIDENT KENNEDY. I don't think that unless a greater effort is made by the Government to win popular support that the war can be won out there. In the final analysis, it is their war. They are the ones who have to win it or lose it. We can help them, we can give them equipment, we can send our men out there as advisers, but they have to win it—the people of Viet-Nam—against the Communists. We are prepared to continue to assist them, but I don't think that the war can be won unless the people support the effort, and, in my opinion, in the last 2 months the Government has gotten out of touch with the people.

Virtual JFK: Vietnam If Kennedy Had Lived

In public, Kennedy had maintained the posture that a U.S presence in Vietnam was essential, to prevent "a collapse not only of South Vietnam but of Southeast Asia."

Yet Kennedy had committed only to the presence of thousands of U.S. military advisers in Vietnam, not active combatants. He wanted to help teach South Vietnam, a U.S. ally, to fight for itself against Communist-led North Vietnam.

Out of the glare of TV cameras, he repeatedly fought with U.S. generals and other hawks who wanted to replace the advisers with soldiers. He told then-defense secretary Robert McNamara that he wanted to begin withdrawing advisers by the end of 1963, and to be completely out of Vietnam by the end of 1965.

What happened after his assassination was the exact opposite: president Johnson decided to send tens of thousands of soldiers to Vietnam, believing a war could be quickly and decisively fought and won.

Johnson's gambit proved pure folly. When the war finally ended in 1975 with America's haphazard withdrawal, more than 58,000 Americans and two million Vietnamese had been killed.

 

[there4eyeM]

War and mistakes.

 

[ginscpy]

I responded to an official notice from the SS to sign up.

No biggie.

 

[there4eyeM]

We were taught that we had to obey. At 18 we signed because we thought we were adults and it was our responsibility.
With the arrival of wisdom, that changed.

 

[ginscpy]

We were taught that we had to obey. At 18 we signed because we thought we were adults and it was our responsibility.
With the arrival of wisdom, that changed.

I dind't want to make waves.

When you are about to turn 18- just go with the flow..................

 

[there4eyeM]

Youth is often prey.

 

[Gadawg73]

shortly before my 18 birthday I went to the Selective Service office ,

Had visions of ricepaddies in Nam

But I believedi n my country .

We did not sign up for the draft in 1971. We registered for the draft.
It was mandatory then.

 

[ginscpy]

Didn't I say that??

Said I responde to theno tice from the SS.

 

[High_Gravity]

shortly before my 18 birthday I went to the Selective Service office ,

Had visions of ricepaddies in Nam

But I believedi n my country .

That means nothing you didn't go over to Nam you hid under you bed like a little pussy.

 

[Old Rocks]

Some of us did not wait for the draft. Some volunteered as I did during a little dust up over some missiles in Cuba. And it did not matter one whit whether your poltical philosophy was conservative or liberal. You either volunteered, or hoped you number would not be drawn. Registering for the draft was not a matter of patriotism, but a matter of obeying the law.

 

[Mr. Shaman]

shortly before my 18 birthday I went to the Selective Service office ,

Had visions of ricepaddies in Nam

But I believedi n my country .

So?

I signed-up in '68.

In 1965, the first-guy (Marine; from my hometown, in No. Central PA) was killed in combat. It was that Summer I first found-out that the National Guard was filled-UP....and, you required (what was comparable to) a congressional-appointment, to get in.

I believed I was seeing that....

....some-people.....

.....were more-expendable, than others.​

 

[Gadawg73]

Some of us did not wait for the draft. Some volunteered as I did during a little dust up over some missiles in Cuba. And it did not matter one whit whether your poltical philosophy was conservative or liberal. You either volunteered, or hoped you number would not be drawn. Registering for the draft was not a matter of patriotism, but a matter of obeying the law.

Smart guys like you did that as My brother also did and signed up in the Reserves.
Then they called his reserve unit for active duty Viet Nam 1966.
But the long timers always respected you guys more that were enlisted. Not judging one way or the other, just telling it like it was.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. We remember and appreciate you always.
Saw my brother last week. Demons are still there but he is doing well.

 

[beretta304]

shortly before my 18 birthday I went to the Selective Service office ,

Had visions of ricepaddies in Nam

But I believedi n my country .

I did likewise. Sorry but I wouldn't fight for the trash living in this country for any amount. I give credit to those that volunteer and thank them for their service. I just hope that those that do, don't die in vain.

We reaped what we sowed and we have no one to blame but ourselves.

 

[ginscpy]

A very divisive time.

 

[there4eyeM]

It broke America's heart.

 

[Old Rocks]

My respect and sympathy for your brother. Many are fighting those demons. Most did what they had to do, but the bad times still come back at night. Not my experiance, but that of many of my friends. War is an insanity that forever haunts the sane. And those that glory in it are the worst of the insane.

 

[Warrior102]

shortly before my 18 birthday I went to the Selective Service office ,

Had visions of ricepaddies in Nam

But I believedi n my country .

You signed up for the draft?

What the fuck does that mean?