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Vietnam War Draft Essay

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Vietnam has certainly remained as one of the most concerning and controversial wars of all time. One of the most disputed aspects of the war was the draft. As a result of the draft, many young men would never return home. From draft card burnings, to anti-war protests, it is evident that the draft and it’s process was seen as unfavorable in the eyes of many people in America. As the United States began to get involved in the Vietnam war, the draft process lingered in the air. The draft ranged from ages eighteen to twenty-six years old. The oldest people drawn from the draft lottery were chosen first. Some of the exceptions for the draft were if you were the only child, a full-time student in college, or a senior in college but only during …show more content…

It shows just how much draftees were infuriated by the war, by risking jail time for burning the cards.
A countless number of people who were chosen “dodged” the draft or avoided registering. During the Vietnam War, all men were required to have their draft cards with them at all time. For this reason, catching the “draft-dodgers” became an easier task. Some draftees would pay malpracticing doctors to give them a bad health exam, to dodge the draft. Some people moved to Canada. Over 250,000 young men resisted to even register for the war. The amount of people that avoided the draft is incredible. The reasons for draft evasion is understandable because of the horror and complete chaos that was the Vietnam …show more content…

In the Vietnam draft, there were many excuses that exempted men from the war. Some people even created fake illnesses to avoid it. Today, there are less excuses to dodge the draft, and there are more thorough examinations. Another difference is that a draft today would use a lottery call, instead of having no system enacted like in Vietnam. These changes were made in 1971. (Selective Service System). These changes could have prevented the chaos involved with draft-dodgers. Although theses changes to the draft should have been created a long time ago, it is beneficial and more efficient than the draft in

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