How did you deal with the draft?

[AZrailwhale]

they let her in??

~S~

Most bases were "open" back then. The MPs generally just waved cars with stickers through the gates without inspecting the occupants. She probably rode in with someone who was legally able to access the base.

 

[odanny]

I disagree, so far in the information age, no army has been able to replace losses suffered in mass combat by expensively trained professional troops. Iran and Irag had to resort to draftees, both Russia and Ukraine have had to resort to draftees despite Ukraine starting out with a very American-like well-trained peacetime army.

The United States relied effectively on a draft in WWII, but the circumstances were far different than Vietnam, in too many ways to mention. The Vietnam war marked the end of a draft era military being an effective fighting force. We can't get back there again with what society has become in the 21st century unless the circumstances change, i.e., no more nation building, no more wars of aggression.

Hopefully Iraq signaled the end of these bloody attempts at _______ .

 

[The Sage of Main Street]

You don't win a war by drafting an army. Listening to people discuss how lucky they had a REMF job (you'll figure it out) tells you all you need to know about fielding a fighting force through a draft. The only way this could have a chance to be successful is if you are fighting on your own soil.

Look at little Ukraine, more importantly, look at the Russian draft. They are getting the same result we did in Vietnam.

America Should Have Had Non-Selective Service Throughout Our History

Just another excuse to cover up the Capital Treason of the Capitalists' sons and their bootlickers. Both Wings were anti-American , not just the loud one.

 

[The Sage of Main Street]

Why?

Fighter by Day
Lover by Night
Drunkard by Choice
Marine by Mistake

 

[Zavulon]

retirement I was discharged from the service in 1995 and haven't worked since 1999

Did they give you a house, free medical examinations and threatments or something?
Did you find a wife during military service?

 

[Zavulon]

Fighter by Day
Lover by Night
Drunkard by Choice
Marine by Mistake

We have nice child limeric, too:

Smart one - in artillery;
Rich one - in cavalry;
Drunkard - in fleet;
And a fool - in infantry.

 

[Zavulon]

I disagree, so far in the information age, no army has been able to replace losses suffered in mass combat by expensively trained professional troops. Iran and Irag had to resort to draftees, both Russia and Ukraine have had to resort to draftees despite Ukraine starting out with a very American-like well-trained peacetime army.

What is even more important, in the modern warfare belligerents must have capabilities to evacuate large masses of population and alleviate consequences of the nuclear strikes.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Did they give you a house, free medical examinations and threatments or something?
Did you find a wife during military service?

look up military retirement benefits if you are curious

 

[Zavulon]

look up military retirement benefits if you are curious

Formal documents is one thing, and real life is quite often different.

Do you believe that America should better pay to American soldiers and vets, rather than hire foreign militants and appease America's competitors?

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Formal documents is one thing, and real life is quite often different.

Do you believe that America should better pay to American soldiers and vets, rather than hire foreign militants and appease America's competitors?

I think the military should have better pay and benefits. The us is not hiring mercenaries.

 

[Zavulon]

I think the military should have better pay and benefits.

And I think the same way. Best soldiers are your own soldiers.

The us is not hiring mercenaries.

The US is, say, paying Ukrainians.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

And I think the same way. Best soldiers are your own soldiers.

The US is, say, paying Ukrainians.

No, we are not, and Trump is getting hell for stopping what we did give them.

 

[The Sage of Main Street]

And I think the same way. Best soldiers are your own soldiers.

The US is, say, paying Ukrainians.

War Mongers Never Send Their Own Sons

Just as happened after 1964 with South Vietnam, if the Ukrainians, when they were only fighting their own ethnic-Russian citizens, had been losing, the Russia-hating American ruling class would have sent in thousands of our own troops to win the war for the Ukraine.

 

[Deadstick]

Da Nang is a popular stop for tourists visiting Vietnam, I had a ticket to go there late last year but the weather was terrible in January (rain every day) and I was just getting over a respiratory infection about the same time my flight was scheduled to depart Bangkok. Trying to reschedule the flight on VietJet ended up being impossible as they made little attempt to respond to my inquiries and it is quite possible no one spoke English. It is also possible they saw my nationality and just chose to ignore me.

It's a beautiful country, I visited Ho Chi Minh City and look forward to seeing Da Nang on my next trip to SEA. I certainly am grateful I was never sent there as an occupier. I worked with many Vietnam veterans over the years and they did not say much about their actual time over there. It was a terrible war that should have never been fought, and ended in 1975 after being occupied since 1887 by French, and later American, colonizers.

Don't forget the Japs, and many Vietnamese fighters fought against all three occupiers over many years.

 

[Deadstick]

The first thing on the Peanut Man's agenda was to pardon every freaking traitor who fled to the people's republic of Canada to avoid the draft. In ten years the traitors were running college campuses and the federal government.

They were not traitors they were heroes, its a pity more of you didn't tell the man where to stick his war.

 

[Deadstick]

Luckily, I wasnt born then. But if I was old enough, I wouldnt have went. Im not going to put my life on the line for politicians.
For my country? Absolutely. But that wasnt about our country. None of our wars lately have been.

Yet many of the herd just don't get it.

 

[Eman623]

The first thing on the Peanut Man's agenda was to pardon every freaking traitor who fled to the people's republic of Canada to avoid the draft. In ten years the traitors were running college campuses and the federal government.

I had a cousin who fled to Canada to escape the draft. After the pardon he returned and became a big rig driver.

 

[Etymology gaslight]

I just finished an interesting book written by one of my contemporaries about his experiences as an infantry squad leader in Vietnam*. It was poignant to me because the author faced EXACTLY the same choice in August of 1968 that I did. My view is that I made the right choice and he made the wrong one.

He and I were both done with college and we both knew that we would shortly be drafted. He was in Iowa; I was in Pennsylvania. The choice was this: You could volunteer for the draft (or wait for it to happen) and accept whatever duty the Army gave you for TWO (2) years, or you could enlist in the Army, take a third year, and CHOOSE the training you would get. Choosing the draft probably meant that you would be assigned to the infantry (MOS 11B20) and sent to Vietnam. Enlisting probably meant that you would go to Vietnam, albeit in a non-combat role (which the vast majority of us did while in Vietnam). And of course, enlisting added a year to your time in the service.

He decided to "roll the dice" and volunteer for the draft. With a 4-year degree, he didn't think the Army would make him an infantryman, but he was wrong. But he made the most of it, volunteering for "NCO School" - 16 weeks of post-AIT training that qualified him to be a Buck Sergeant (E-5) when he got to Vietnam, which made him a squad leader. Timing-wise, it meant that by the time he finished his 12 months in RVN he would be eligible for an early-out, making his total time in the service somewhat less than the two years.

I chose training in exchange for the third year, but I chose a stupid one called "Stock Control and Accounting," because I liked the sound of it. It taught you how to fill out self-explanatory forms and to count rolls of toilet paper. Fortunately or not, when I got to that school (Ft Lee, VA), I was given the choice to opt out of the school, and OJT in "Personnel," which would have the same effect as the training - keeping me out of the infantry. My Army path was a bit convoluted, spending a year at Ft Lee, six months or so at Ft Belvoir, VA, and ultimately volunteering to go to Vietnam as a Personnel Specialist. In fact, my MOS was 71H30, the "30" meaning that I SHOULD be assigned to some headquarters unit rather than out in the boonies. I ended up in Danang, which was possibly the best duty one could have in the Army in Vietnam - not as nice as the Air Force, but pretty good, all things considered.

Sgt Dick Hogue got out of the Army in August 1970, two years after he went in, albeit somewhat worse off for the experience (read the book). I got out in April 1971, in excellent health and condition, with a nice bank account. (In Vietnam we got extra pay and paid no Federal or State income tax).

While I've done a lot of stupid things in my life, there is no question in my mind that I made the right choice in August 1968, and I would make the same choice today if I were put back in that situation with the same options in front of me.

If the draft were reinstated today and you were 18, what would you choose?

______________________
* "A Soldier's Story: Forever Changed" by Richard F. Hogue

I Fell into a window where I didn't have to register for the draft (1959)
So did Obama.
But he claimed to be born in 1961 instead.
That requires documentation.

But it's not good documentation.
It's
One of the weakest links in the chain concerning his Providence.
And there are so many.

No Iie
can live forever
Martin Luther King

 

[Moonglow]

I just finished an interesting book written by one of my contemporaries about his experiences as an infantry squad leader in Vietnam*. It was poignant to me because the author faced EXACTLY the same choice in August of 1968 that I did. My view is that I made the right choice and he made the wrong one.

He and I were both done with college and we both knew that we would shortly be drafted. He was in Iowa; I was in Pennsylvania. The choice was this: You could volunteer for the draft (or wait for it to happen) and accept whatever duty the Army gave you for TWO (2) years, or you could enlist in the Army, take a third year, and CHOOSE the training you would get. Choosing the draft probably meant that you would be assigned to the infantry (MOS 11B20) and sent to Vietnam. Enlisting probably meant that you would go to Vietnam, albeit in a non-combat role (which the vast majority of us did while in Vietnam). And of course, enlisting added a year to your time in the service.

He decided to "roll the dice" and volunteer for the draft. With a 4-year degree, he didn't think the Army would make him an infantryman, but he was wrong. But he made the most of it, volunteering for "NCO School" - 16 weeks of post-AIT training that qualified him to be a Buck Sergeant (E-5) when he got to Vietnam, which made him a squad leader. Timing-wise, it meant that by the time he finished his 12 months in RVN he would be eligible for an early-out, making his total time in the service somewhat less than the two years.

I chose training in exchange for the third year, but I chose a stupid one called "Stock Control and Accounting," because I liked the sound of it. It taught you how to fill out self-explanatory forms and to count rolls of toilet paper. Fortunately or not, when I got to that school (Ft Lee, VA), I was given the choice to opt out of the school, and OJT in "Personnel," which would have the same effect as the training - keeping me out of the infantry. My Army path was a bit convoluted, spending a year at Ft Lee, six months or so at Ft Belvoir, VA, and ultimately volunteering to go to Vietnam as a Personnel Specialist. In fact, my MOS was 71H30, the "30" meaning that I SHOULD be assigned to some headquarters unit rather than out in the boonies. I ended up in Danang, which was possibly the best duty one could have in the Army in Vietnam - not as nice as the Air Force, but pretty good, all things considered.

Sgt Dick Hogue got out of the Army in August 1970, two years after he went in, albeit somewhat worse off for the experience (read the book). I got out in April 1971, in excellent health and condition, with a nice bank account. (In Vietnam we got extra pay and paid no Federal or State income tax).

While I've done a lot of stupid things in my life, there is no question in my mind that I made the right choice in August 1968, and I would make the same choice today if I were put back in that situation with the same options in front of me.

If the draft were reinstated today and you were 18, what would you choose?

______________________
* "A Soldier's Story: Forever Changed" by Richard F. Hogue

The same thing I chose when I enlisted in 1982, electronic/mechanical maintenance of missile systems.

 

[Unkotare]

I Fell into a window where I didn't have to register for the draft ...

Did you cut yourself?