Vietnam Vets Tribute

 

 

This is a tribute to those American patriots who fought in the Vietnam War, i.e.,

our generation's war:

 

 

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This following are two tributes to those American patriots who fight in today's war on terror, i.e.,

our children's and our grandchildren's war.  The second of these was created by a 15-year old girl, Lizzy Palmer:

 

 

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The following commentary and chart were emailed to me from fellow DHS '71 classmate, Craig Thomson, who has been very helpful in constructing and maintaining this website........I remember my lottery number very well......it was 83.....remember yours?     ......Stan
Vietnam, the Draft, and our DHS Class of 1971
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 as an independent Federal agency.
From 1948 until 1973, during both peacetime and periods of conflict, men were drafted to fill vacancies in the armed forces which could not be filled through voluntary means.
In 1973, the draft ended and the U.S. converted to an All-Volunteer military.
 
What did this mean to our DHS class of 1971? For those born in 1953 (most of us were) we had to register for the draft when we were 18.
 
Our lottery was held on 2 February 1972…so for most of us this was during our freshman year at college.
 
The table below shows the result. First column is the day of the month of your birthday…and then depending on the month go down the labeled columns to see your number.
 
For instance, 1 Jan birthday was 150, 1 Feb birthday was 112.
 
 
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
1
150
112
203
012
058
015
039
323
219
215
107
170
2
328
278
322
108
275
360
297
027
017
128
214
090
3
042
054
220
104
166
245
109
003
226
103
232
056
4
028
068
047
280
172
207
092
313
356
079
339
250
5
338
096
266
254
292
230
139
063
354
086
223
031
6
036
271
001
088
337
087
132
208
173
041
211
336
7
111
154
002
163
145
251
285
057
144
129
299
267
8
206
347
153
050
201
282
355
131
097
157
312
210
9
197
136
321
234
276
083
179
007
364
116
151
120
10
037
361
331
272
100
178
089
249
217
342
257
073
11
174
026
239
350
307
064
202
125
334
319
159
082
12
126
195
044
023
115
190
340
198
043
171
066
085
13
298
263
244
169
049
318
306
329
229
269
124
335
14
341
348
117
081
224
095
305
205
353
014
237
038
15
221
308
152
343
165
016
359
241
235
277
176
137
16
309
227
094
119
101
032
074
019
225
059
209
187
17
231
046
363
183
273
091
199
008
189
177
284
294
18
072
011
357
242
098
238
121
113
289
192
160
013
19
303
127
358
158
148
052
332
105
228
167
270
168
20
161
106
262
314
274
077
033
162
141
352
301
149
21
099
316
300
004
310
315
005
030
123
288
287
080
22
259
020
317
264
333
146
286
140
268
191
102
188
23
258
247
022
279
216
212
365
302
296
193
320
252
24
062
261
071
362
246
061
324
138
236
256
180
155
25
243
260
065
255
122
143
035
290
291
009
025
006
26
311
051
024
233
118
345
204
076
029
078
344
351
27
110
186
181
265
293
330
060
034
248
325
135
194
28
304
295
045
055
018
053
185
040
070
327
130
156
29
283
---
021
093
133
075
222
084
196
349
147
175
30
114
---
213
069
048
142
200
182
184
346
134
281
31
240
---
326
---
067
---
253
218
---
010
---
164
 
 
 
 
 
Those of us to be drafted would have been drafted in 1973. It turns out that only 646 were inducted in 1973…down from 49,000 the previous year and 94,000 the year before that. So we were truly at the tail end of the conflict, and more or less spared from it.
 
By 1972, 70,000 draft evaders and deserters were living in Canada.
 
US Troop levels peaked in 1968 at 536K. By 1972 they were down to 24K. “Inductions” peaked in 1968 at 294K, by 1972 they were down to 49K.
 
The Vietnam War ended on 30 April of 1975 when Saigon fell to the north. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_Saigon
 
In 1973 the military went to an “all volunteer” system, and the draft was dropped. The requirement to register for the draft was suspended in April 1975. It was resumed again in 1980 by President Carter.
 
The official site for the selective service system can be found here http://www.sss.gov:80/default.htm