"Students in college, they assumed, were being educated for the future benefit of the nation, whereas gas station attendants and construction workers were not."--- Michael S. Foley, Confronting the War Machine:
Draft Resistance During the Vietnam War
Draft dodging could be done illegally by fleeing to Canada or burning draft cards and suffering the consequences but many people were able to avoid the draft by going to college, getting a deferment, or paying their way out. Both Bill Clinton and Muhammad Ali were able to avoid the draft in a legal way though. Ken Sloan, Vietnam War |
Above is the letter to Colonel Eugene Holmes, the head of the ROTC program, from Bill Clinton explaining his feelings on the draft and his reasoning for avoiding.
Before 1968, students were able to use the graduate deferments to avoid the draft until they were to the age of twenty-six. Clinton had intended to use this to his advantage when he was at Oxford University but in 1968, it was abolished. He had decided to try to manipulate the system by joining an advanced Reserve Officer Training Corps after receiving his induction notice in 1969 which kept him from being inducted. He asked to be classified as eligible for military service, because of the draft regulation that allowed graduate students who were called up for duty to finish the school year. Once the draft lottery began, Clinton received the high number of 311.
Before 1968, students were able to use the graduate deferments to avoid the draft until they were to the age of twenty-six. Clinton had intended to use this to his advantage when he was at Oxford University but in 1968, it was abolished. He had decided to try to manipulate the system by joining an advanced Reserve Officer Training Corps after receiving his induction notice in 1969 which kept him from being inducted. He asked to be classified as eligible for military service, because of the draft regulation that allowed graduate students who were called up for duty to finish the school year. Once the draft lottery began, Clinton received the high number of 311.
"I said I was the greatest, not the smartest."--- Muhammad Ali
In April of 1960, Muhammad Ali registered for the draft. After scoring in the sixteenth percentile in the mental exam, below the thirty percent requirement, he was reclassified as not qualified for service. By 1966, the demand for troops increased and the standards for the mental exam were lowered to scoring above fifteen percent, making Ali eligible. Stating that he “ain’t got no quarrel with them Vietcong” he refused induction and went to court. The Supreme Court ruled in his favor by 1971.
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