I'm writing a paper and I was wondering besides the fact that you had to register for the draft, how did men find out that they had actually been drafted?
2007-04-12 14:52:07 · 15 answers · asked by Dat Chick 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
After you registered, you got a card with your draft lottery number on it. When I got mine is was A-68. The draft board then determines up to what number they would call to the draft. A-68 would have been low enough to get called to Viet Nam that year, but fortunately for me Mr. Nixon ended the draft the year I was eligible.
After the draft board determined what numbers got called up, letters were sent out to all the "lucky" winners of the draft. The letters told you where and when to report for a physical and induction into the military.
2007-04-12 14:56:34 · answer #1 · answered by William E 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Actually, you didn't register for the draft during the Vietnam War. There was no need to. Times were a lot simpler back then. The draft board simply printed the names and draft numbers of those who were called to service, and distributed them to every post office in the country to put on the "most wanted" bulletin board. They were also sent to federal buildings, court houses, libraries, community centers, fire stations, universities, colleges, high schools, social service centers, and of course the local newspaper. Not all papers chose to publish the list, it was political dynamite. Everyone in town knew when you got your number. They also knew what the number was, and when you were probably going to go. In my town, they actually had a betting board at the local bar where you could place wagers on the actual call-up date for a specific person. That's why so many men and women went to Canada. They knew ahead of time, so they simply boarded a bus and left behind the sane world they thought they knew, but were convinced it had gone insane.
I hope this helps. Take care.
2007-04-12 15:39:31 · answer #2 · answered by Rex 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
There was a lottery at one point. I also remember hearing the newscasters announce draft numbers on the nightly news... so they'd say the pentagon had released the following series of draft numbers... so those guys would get draft notices.
I also remember my brother enlisted before his draft number came up, so he could choose his MOS. (Drafted = infantry, enlisted = air traffic controller, a career from which he retired last year.) I'm thinking, since he realized his number was getting closer to those on the list of guys getting called up, they must have done away with the lottery system at some point... but I was only 5 years old at the time, so I don't recall the particulars.
2007-04-12 19:01:09 · answer #3 · answered by Amy S 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In 1971 they had a draft lottery. They put every day of the year (birthdays) into plastic eggs. Then, on a radio show, they opened every egg. The birthdays they drew first were the first to be drafted. The last were lucky because if they didn't get that far that year, you weren't drafted. Then they would send you a letter if you were drafted to tell you where and when to report. I was lucky. My birthday was about the 242nd egg.
2007-04-12 15:00:47 · answer #4 · answered by GoodGuy53 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Selective Service System sent you a nice friendly letter in the mail advising you
that your friends and neighbors have selected you to serve in the US Armed Forces and would give you a time and place where to report for Physicals and then induction into the US Army!!!
US ARMY(RET) 21 Years Vietnam 1967-1968-1971!! Above letter is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help me, GOD!!
2007-04-12 15:00:37 · answer #5 · answered by Vagabond5879 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They were sent a letter, I believe...
There is an excellent Daffy Duck cartoon called "Drafty Daffy" where he's avoiding that "guy from the draft board". I realize they were talking about a different war, but it was some funny political satire.
2007-04-12 15:11:19 · answer #6 · answered by ♥♥Mrs SSG B♥♥ 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A man would first receive a notice to report for a physical examination. After the exam, if he was found healthy, he would receive a letter notifying him he had to report for service (he had been drafted.)
The link has copies of each letter.
2007-04-12 14:55:50 · answer #7 · answered by FCabanski 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There was a lottery drawing, and men were notified by their local draft boards.
2007-04-12 14:54:32 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
You received a letter from the government. It started out with the phrase, GREETINGS......I enlisted in the Air Force shortly before receiving the letter. If I was going to go, I wanted to make my own choice.
2007-04-12 14:59:56 · answer #9 · answered by CGIV76 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Their number got picked by their birthdate and they were sent a draft card. Thats real **** son.
2007-04-12 15:01:31 · answer #10 · answered by Theodore Sebastian 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋