8 Gripping Facts About the Vietnam War Draft

April 30 marks the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War. America’s involvement in the war spanned 30 years and crossed six presidencies, leaving an impact on American society and culture that still resonates to this day.

One of the conflict’s fiercest touchstones was the draft, which brought the war right into the nation’s backyard. As it grew, so did the debate surrounding it: For many Americans, it became an even higher-stakes issue, dividing families, friendships, and political parties.

A massive youth counterculture movement emerged in the maelstrom, clashing with a rising tide of political conservatism among the American middle class. Even the politics of today can find their roots in this “conflict within a conflict.” 

As Americans reflect on that period now, the draft and the war often go hand-in-hand. But few know about the history of the draft—its roots and function—and the full story behind why it came to an end. Read on to learn more about this controversial facet of what was once America’s longest war.

1. It wasn’t the first draft in American history ...
2. ... and it lasted a lot longer than you probably think it did.
3. The first televised draft lottery was held in 1969.
4. There were multiple draft lotteries during the Vietnam War.
5. Young Boomers tried to dodge the draft in all kinds of ways.
6. The draft influenced pop culture and helped shape America’s counterculture movement in the 1960s.
7. The draft ended amid growing unpopularity ...
8. … but the machinery for one is still around.

It wasn’t the first draft in American history ...

The draft during the Vietnam War was not the first draft in American history. There have actually been four drafts across six conflicts: the American War of Independence, the American Civil War, World War I, and one that ran from just before America’s entry into World War II through the Korean War, finally ending with the Vietnam War. Since WWI, the Selective Service System (SSS) has overseen drafts.

... and it lasted a lot longer than you probably think it did.

This fourth draft was kept in place from roughly 1940 through 1973. It was enacted via the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 in response to the conflict happening abroad. Before it, the military was much smaller: More than 4 million men were discharged after the end of World War I [PDF], but there were only 180,000 active duty men in the Army by 1930.

The draft was kept in place for the duration of America’s involvement in WWII, and initially, all men between the ages of 21 and 36 were required to register for it. Though the law enacting the draft technically expired by early 1947, it was reenacted shortly thereafter. In 1950, it was set to expire again, but by 1951, it was reauthorized, with men between the ages of 18 and 26 required to register. Upon turning 18, men would turn up at their local draft boards to be examined, which would help determine if they were fit for service. Men were also required to keep their draft cards on them at all times. 

The fourth draft is considered the first—and only—“peacetime draft” in American history. As a result, draft-age men were commonly called up for service and assigned to bases in other countries, including Japan, West Germany, Italy, and the Philippines, as well as around parts of the United States.

The first televised draft lottery was held in 1969.

After the alleged attack by North Vietnamese boats on U.S. destroyers in August 1964, Congress—at Lyndon B. Johnson’s request—passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. This granted the president authority to send combat troops into Vietnam. The increased demand for manpower set the stage for the first televised draft lottery, which happened on December 1, 1969.

During the broadcast, 366 blue capsules were placed in a large plastic drum, with each capsule containing a birth date (one for each day of the year, plus leap day). The numbers in the lottery covered men born from 1944 to 1950 and determined the induction schedule for 1970. It was also seen as a way to randomize—and thus remove the appearance of bias from—the recruitment selection process.

Take, for example, the number 12, which would have corresponded to January 12, the 12th day of the year. If the number 12 was drawn early in the lottery, all the registrants born on January 12 would have a high chance of being drafted. If the number 12 was drawn at the end of the lottery, there was a lower chance that those registrants would be called up. If the number 12 wasn’t drawn at all, then those men had nothing to worry about, at least for that lottery cycle.

There were multiple draft lotteries during the Vietnam War.

Subsequent draft lotteries for the Vietnam War were held in 1970, 1971, and 1972. Though some saw the televised draft lottery as a way to randomize the selection process, detractors of the war still argued that the process wasn’t truly fair.

According to critics, the draft lottery in 1969 was inherently problematic because of the way those birthday capsules were mixed into that plastic drum in the first place. Capsules were added by the month, meaning January birthdays were poured in first. Meanwhile, capsules for those with December birthdays were added at the end and were closer to the top of the pile. Thus, they seemed to get selected and called up to serve in disproportionate ways.

In response, the methodology evolved. This included randomly separating and sorting all the birthday numbers into different envelopes, with numbers drawn from those envelopes instead of one big container. However, the revised methodology did little to reduce draft opposition by the early 1970s. A final lottery was held in December 1972, and by January 1973, Richard Nixon announced the switch to an all-volunteer force, rendering the revised draft lottery methodology moot.

Overall, about 27 million Americans were eligible for the draft during the Vietnam War, and out of the over 8.7 million who served, roughly 2.2 million were draftees—meaning that approximately 25 percent of those who served during the Vietnam War were conscripts (another word for draftees).

Young Boomers tried to dodge the draft in all kinds of ways.

All drafts contained various exemptions, and the Vietnam-era draft was no different. If you were a Baby Boomer, one way to avoid going to Vietnam was to receive a preferential draft classification.

Back then, being classified as 1-A meant you were eligible for military service. But if you were classified as 4-F or qualified for a deferment based on college attendance [PDF] or medical issues, you could have successfully avoided the draft. Some were even able to gain conscientious objector status, while others skipped it by voluntarily enlisting in another branch of the military (over 80 percent of those who served in Vietnam were in either the Army or the Marines). There were even Americans who just straight-up left the country. Here’s how it broke down:

4-F Classification

During the Vietnam War, a 4-F classification meant someone did not meet the “physical, mental, or moral standards” to serve in the military. Prior to the “don’t ask, don’t tell” era, homosexuality (whether genuine or feigned for the purposes of dodging the draft) seemingly guaranteed this classification and in theory was considered one of the main ways to get it outside of certain diagnosed psychiatric conditions.

If you’ve ever watched old reruns of M*A*S*H, you’ve probably already heard of the 4-F classification, though. A common running gag in the show’s early years features the character Klinger trying to get a “Section 8” discharge from the Army through a series of schemes that have since aged poorly (like halfheartedly hitting on men). Because being seen as openly LGBTQI+ was still so taboo in the military, there was some logic to these antics—at least for the period—though the rubric for gaining 4-F classification wasn’t always applied consistently.

Student and Medical Deferments

Beyond 4-F, multiple classifications allowed Americans to avoid getting drafted. As a high school or full-time college student, you could have gained a 1-S classification. This directly contributed to an increase in college enrollment in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Still, by 1971, this no longer qualified as a reason for full deferment (except for medical students or those focused on religious studies).

Another common route for evading the draft was to secure a medical deferment. Classification for this could vary—medical specialists could gain 2-AM status, for instance, if they were critically needed in their own communities. Non-medical specialists, on the other hand, could be classified as 1-Y due to health issues, meaning they could only be drafted in the event of a national emergency.

Some notable Americans—including both Joe Biden and Donald Trump—were deemed 1-Y and avoided the draft thanks to claims of asthma and bone spurs (which were among the common conditions covered under medical deferment). Many saw these exceptions as being skewed toward those from affluent backgrounds, which helped fuel further opposition to both the war and the draft.

Conscientious Objection

Another major exception was gaining conscientious objector status, or 1-A-O classification. This meant a person’s moral and/or religious views prevented them from serving either in a combat role or in the military generally.

There were many different types of CO status (some only applied to medical specialists, for example). Those granted this status were typically required to perform some form of alternative service, either at home or within the military. Of the approximately 300,000 men who applied for conscientious objector status, roughly two-thirds were rejected, most notably Muhammad Ali. 

Enlisting in Another Branch of the Military—or Just Leaving the Country

For those who were stuck with a 1-A classification, serving in a “less dangerous” branch of the military—like the National Guard, Navy, or Air Force—was seen as an effective way to dodge Vietnam. Leaving the country was another option, with Canada being a favored destination.

While this was one of the less common forms of escaping the draft, it is perhaps the most famous. No exact figures exist, but the Canadian government estimates that approximately 40,000 Americans fled to Canada rather than fight in Vietnam. In 1975, Gerald Ford delivered a conditional amnesty to draft evaders, while Jimmy Carter granted a full pardon on January 21, 1977, his first full day in office. Despite these moves, approximately half of the tens of thousands of Americans who fled to Canada opted to stay.

The draft influenced pop culture and helped shape America’s counterculture movement in the 1960s.

After World War II, a culture of resistance began to foment in the United States. The 1950s were especially notable for the rise of Beatnik culture, as personified by writers like Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg. But it was the opposition to the war in Vietnam and the draft that would help catapult the counterculture into the American mainstream consciousness by the 1960s, becoming a hallmark of it.

Groups like Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and the Black Panther Party owed some of their initial success to taking early, principled stands against the war and the draft, even while the war still enjoyed a general measure of support with the American public. Prominent agitators like Abbie Hoffman and the rest of the Chicago Seven used the issue to rally others at the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago.

But the impact of the ongoing conflict spilled over to other areas, influencing many seminal movies and songs of the era. For instance, folksinger Phil Ochs’s “Draft Dodger Rag” skewered those eager to support the war but not actually fight it themselves. Creedence Clearwater Revival and The Byrds were among the popular music groups at the time that opposed the war and draft, as were The Flying Burrito Brothers and Country Joe and the Fish.

Additionally, films like 1970’s M*A*S*H and 1971’s Johnny Got His Gun also took up the cause. Interestingly, both films used previous wars as their backdrops (the Korean War and World War I, respectively). However, some films released during this time were stridently pro-war, with the 1968 John Wayne film The Green Berets being a notable example.

The draft ended amid growing unpopularity ...

With the Vietnam War and draft growing increasingly unpopular, Nixon announced the suspension of the draft in the run-up to his 1972 landslide reelection, where he captured about 60 percent of the popular vote.

The 1972 election was also notable as the first presidential election in American history where those between the ages of 18 and 21 could legally cast votes. Prior to the ratification of the 26th Amendment in 1971, the legal voting age had been set at 21.

That move—along with talk of suspending the draft—may have been what helped Nixon earn so much of the youth vote in 1972, as nearly half of all young first-time voters cast their ballots in his favor. Also, an all-volunteer army was seen as more cost-effective by conservatives in Nixon’s orbit, so with the end of the draft by 1973, the registration requirement followed suit and was suspended by 1975.

… but the machinery for one is still around.

Carter resumed the SSS registration requirement in July 1980, amid rising Cold War tensions. It remains in place to this day, so while there is no active draft, the registration allows the federal government to maintain a list of draft-eligible men (still men-only), just in case.

Registration with the SSS at age 18 is a must if someone wants, for example, state-funded student financial aid. Not registering is a felony, but it’s seldom enforced. The all-volunteer force of today has sometimes been called a “poverty draft,” as military recruiters often target young people from underserved communities, and the benefits—college tuition, affordable medical insurance, etc.—make service seem like more of an enticing option.

While suggestions for a return to a draft and/or national service system resurface every so often (including during the Iraq War), such a return is unlikely, given how widespread its unpopularity was during the conflict in Vietnam.

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