The Vietnam War Draft…?
The draft (conscription) started in April of 1917 as we entered World War One. It was suspended until 1939, when President Roosevelt re-introduced it. My half-brother was drafted at that time. After World War Two the Universal Military Training and Service Act was passed in 1947 which re-introduced the draft again. One day prior to the beginning of the Korean War it was extended by the Congress and remained in force until 1973. During Vietnam, over 90% of those drafted were placed in the U.S. Army. The other service which used draftees very briefly was the Marine Corps. The Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard did not use draftees during the Vietnam Era. In the four major wars of the 20th Century millions of American males were drafted into the armed forces. The total manpower of all forces during World War Two, volunteer and draftee exceeded 12 million. Despite the common myth, most of those who died in combat in Vietnam were not draftees. They were mostly volunteers. Another myth about dr
