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Social and economic impacts of Vietnam
Effect on the U.S. in the Vietnam War
The Impact of the Vietnam War
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The Vietnam War Draft Many people in the 1960s and early 1970s did not understand why the United States was involved in the Vietnam War. Therefore, they had no desire to be a part of it. The Selective Service System, which was used to conduct the draft, had aspirations of directing people into areas where they were most needed during wartime. However, people took advantage of the draft system’s deferment policies to avoid going to war. Others refused induction or simply did not register. There were also people who left the country to escape the draft. The Vietnam War proved to be an event that many Americans did not agree with, and as a result, citizens took action to elude the draft entirely or to beat the draft system. Before improvements in the draft system in 1971, there were many excuses for deferments. Draft boards were not representative in terms of race and national origin within the communities they served, and the lottery system left draftees in suspense for almost seven years.1 For these reasons, the draft system was inefficient, leading to much disapproval among the people. The Selective Service System had the right idea, but it needed some modifications. During the majority of the war, men were guided into civilian and military positions through a policy that the Selective Service Director Lewis B. Hershey called "channeling." The draft system used induction as a threat to "channel" people into more desirable pursuits that were in the interests of the nation. For instance, an engineer earned a deferment from the war because he was needed at home while a person who did not have a deferment could be inducted into the army. For every solider in combat, there were many other positions that needed to be filled... ... middle of paper ... ... Circumstance, 29-32. 5. Baskir, Chance and Circumstance, 33. 6. Baskir, Chance and Circumstance, 34. 7. Baskir, Chance and Circumstance, 33-34. 8. Baskir, Chance and Circumstance, 83-85. 9. Williams, Roger Neville. The New Exiles: American War Resisters in Canada (New York: Liveright Publishers,1971), 49-51. 10. Baskir, Chance and Circumstance, 36-37. 11. Baskir, Chance and Circumstance, 37. Bibliography 1. Baskir, Lawrence M. and William A. Strauss. Chance and Circumstance: the Draft, the War, and the Vietnam Generation. New York: Alfred A Knopf, 1978. 2. "How the Draft was Changed Since Vietnam." Selective Service System. 22 April 99 http://www.sss.gov/viet.htm> (29 Oct 1999). 3. Williams, Roger Neville. The New Exiles: American War Resisters in Canada. New York: Liveright Publishers, 1971.
..., the draft ended and the U.S. converted to an All-Volunteer military. Many people were not in high spirits about the Vietnam War, and thought we should not be involved in it. Lyndon Johnson, the 36th president of the United States, laments “[w]e are not about to send American boys nine or ten thousand miles away from home to do what Asian boys ought to be doing for themselves” (Vietnam-Facts.info). There is a popular picture of a draft protests sign displaying the words “hell no, we won’t go.” I do believe Americans should have a right to choose to go to war or not. Many young men lost their life fighting a battle they didn’t even have faith in. Many soldiers endured personal hardships, loss of income, and leaving family behind. Most of drafted soldiers complied with the draft and served; however, many middle to high-class young men found ways to avoid combat.
Tim O’Brien finds himself staring at his draft notice on June 17, 1968. He was confused and flustered. O’Brien does not know how or why he got selected for the draft. All he knew was that he was above the war itself, “A million things all at once—I was too good for this war. Too smart, too compassionate, to everything. It couldn’t happen” (41). He was also demented on the fact that he, a war hater, was being drafted. He felt if anyone were to be drafted it should be the people who supported the war. “If you support a war, if you think it’s worth the price, that’s fine, but you have to put your own precious fluids on the line” (42). His draft notice was when he first carried his thought of embarrassment. He instantly thought if he does not support the war he should not have to go to war. The only way not to go to war was to flee the country so the draft council could not find him. He had a moral split. “I feared the war, yes, but I also feared exile” (44). This quote is so true in young adults, not only then, but also now. Peer pressure, the thought of being embarrassed if we do not do something, pushes many young adults to do things they do not want to such as pushing Tim O’Brien to enter the draft. The thought of being judged ...
On August 7th 1964 the United States Congress passed into law the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution which, for all intents and purposes, officially brought the United States into the Vietnam War. Following this resolution, a draft was instated to increase the number of men that could be sent to war. Shortly after men started to be signed into conscription for the United States Military, a public outcry started over the use of a draft to increase military size. The draft was found to be unfair to American Citizens because certain groups of men were severely disadvantaged, the draft was illegal in many ways, and veteran’s future lives were harmed, among other reasons.
Some people of the draft could not pass the physical part of the army, but still were sent out. Thousands of untrained soldiers were sent to war because of the lack of troops the U.S. had in the war zone. Many people were concerned with conscription because they feared it would cause civil disturbance in practice. The reason civil disturbance was a concern was because some people felt as the government was taking away Americans rights by forcing them to be a part of the draft of 1917. The draft cards were simply filled out with a name, date of birth and other simple information....
Over forty years has passed since the United States inducted the last draftee through the Selective Service System. The Selective Service System is an independent agency of the United States, which gives the President the right or power to conscript men for military service. There have been different Acts passed by congress since 1917 that require men of various ages to register for service. Although, the name of each Act and the age requirements of the registries changed, the Acts were all similar in nature. They all gave the President the right to call men to war when he deemed necessary. In January 1973, Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird announced the creation of the all-volunteer service, retracting the need for the draft (GAO.gov). Under current law, all men between the ages of 18-25 must register within 30 days of their 18th birthday, however this information is used mostly for recruitment purposes and in case of any future crisis. There has been much controversy over this matter since the Vietnam War, when people started to realize the draft was unfair due to loopholes and draft exemptions making the draft unfair for working men. At one point in time the military draft may have been necessary, but today’s all-volunteer military has eliminated the need for a draft.
Kindig, Jessie. "Vietnam War: Draft Resistance." Vietnam: Draft Resistance. University of Washington, 2009. Web. 26 May 2014.
The Conscription Act delivered the final straw in the long list of discrepancies, the catalyst that turned that small forest fire into a raging inferno of hate and fear. The white working class (mostly Irish immigrants) were infuriated, they couldn’t understand how they, white, hard-working voters were being punished. The government was forcing them to fight a war they didn’t support and the only way they could avoid it was to pay 300 dollars (a years wages for most), yet they would pay African Americans 1,000 dollars for volunteering. The new federal draft conditions also expanded to include a wider age range of men it would take. “The conscription law targeted men between the ages of 20 and 35, and all unmarried men up to age 45.” Adding to the already high tensions of laborers, since the enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation they ...
In the month of April of 1862, the government issued the first draft of the Civil War. Throughout the war, they put out drafts because so many men were needed to fight. Citizens were expected to obey these orders, and as the war progressed, it was harder and harder for men to avoid fighting for their country. Towards the end, the government began forcing almost every able man to enlist in the army. Men of ages 17-50 were drafted in the South (20-45 in the North); bodies were needed. And the government made sure that they got what they needed.
The Military draft is the random selection of qualified citizens of the United States, that is put to use when a crisis occurs, like a war. When American citizens reached age 18, they had to sign up for eligibility to be drafted to go to war for their country. Throughout the country’s history, the requirements and limitations of drafting have changed. The draft has been going on since colonial times in America in order to fulfill the country’s military needs when there were not enough volunteer fighters for the military. The total amount of soldiers that one side has fighting for it is an important factor in any type of battle so getting the necessary amount of fighters is crucial. The draft assures everyone that this military need is satisfied at any point in time. Many people feel like the draft is not fair and not “American” and the draft has seen so much conflict since its invention. Throughout the history of the United States, the military draft has been a very important, yet highly controversial topic at the same time.
The vitnam war was a hardest struggle for independence. The Vietnam War started in 1960. The Vietnam War was a long, the war started because of the conflict between north and South Vietnam known as Viet Cong; United States was successful stopping communism. The Vietnam draft was ended in 1973, there were about 2,709,918 Americans served in the war and 58000 Americans were killed in the war more than half were Vietnamese civilians. In addition, United States Constitution did not directly mention the draft. Article I, section 8, State congress says that they should have power to declare the war; maintain navy, raise and support amines arming. In fact even today men age 18 through 25 are required to register in the selective services. During the war Lyndon Johnson was the president of the United States.
For many years, draft evasion has played a large part in the outcome of wars in the United States. Draft evasion, more commonly referred to as draft dodging, is the intentional decision to not comply with orders from one’s government regarding military conscription, or the enlistment for state service. During the Vietnam War, the draft was very popular as there was a shortage of volunteer military personnel to fight the war that lasted nearly two decades. As a result of this, many young men were forced into military service by the American government. At first, many complied with orders to partake in the war, however, over time many became resistant. The United States’ mandate for conscription during the Vietnam War led
Thinking about the days of the draft always seems to send a chill to bone of dying in a foreign nation where you're very far from your love ones and your no "fortunate son" when you're in line for duty. In the generation of the 60's and 70's, an unpopular war was raging in Vietnam, countless young men were drafted into service to fight the NVA forces from uniting the country under the forces of communism and contain the philosophy from spreading outside of the containment zone. "Fortunate Son" by Creedance Clearwater Revival sought to reveal many of the recruits were young men from the lower class and men born in wealthy, upper families avoided military service. Even in the war, the military continues to seek a large abundance of able-body
World War 2 meant discrimination, racism, and segregation for African Americans. With the draft like for Winfred W. Lynn of Jamaica, New York he chose to inform his draft board that he wanted to serve armed forces without segregation by race.
People who support the military draft will say that it is the obligation of every citizen of the United States, and every other person residing in the United States, who is between the ages of 18 and 42, to perform a period of national service. Aren?t there many other ways--less deadly ways--to contribute to the country?s well being? Should we, as citizens, be allowed to evade this ultimate obligation by turning it over to the poorer members of society, those who can't find good-paying jobs or training except in the military? In "A War for Us, Fought by Them," William Broyles, a Vietnam war veteran and the father of a young man who is a soldier in the Marines, argues that the military draft should be brought back, and this time it should be done right: everybody should be drafted, not just ?the profoundly patriotic or the economically needy" (Broyles 695).
For the first part of this paper you need some background on how the draft worked throughout our history (as Americans), and how it was socially perceived amongst the citizen of this great nation. For more than fifty years now we have had a peacetime military draft. "President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 which created the country's first peacetime draft and formally established the Selective Service System" (about.com). We have been very lucky that the military draft has only been used twice now, once for W...