"I remember the day I found out my draft status. I was really floored and kind of staggered around in a daze. It just hadn't occurred to me
that I could end up in Vietnam."
Parker Stevenson
During the Vietnam War, men could be drafted from the age of 18 to 26. Some young Americans viewed the draft as unfair and the Vietnam War as the “working man’s war” because it was the working men who were unable to dodge the draft. By this time, the media was able to depict the atrociousness and anxiety of the war which persuaded some young men to fear the possibility of going overseas. Rebellious movements such as the civil rights movement, counterculture movement, and feminist movement were also taking place which influenced the youth of the 1960’s to consider conscription and the war differently. By 1965, the draft resistance movement had begun with anti-draft demonstrations taking place particularly in colleges and military centers. The draft lottery, introduced in 1969, was thought to appease the resisters because of the random selection but draft resistance still carried on. By 1973, the military draft ended and the U.S. military became a volunteer-only program.
Bailey Adolph
Senior Division Webpage
Senior Division Webpage