The Baggage of War and Mandatory Drafts

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The Baggage of War

In times of crises and chaos, the United States government must take whatever actions are necessary in order to preserve peace at home. One of these actions includes drafting men into war when the numbers of volunteers are low. In “The Things They Carried”, a memoir by Tim O’ Brien, oppression and stresses that soldiers faced on a daily basis are portrayed through a series of war stories and events during the Vietnam War and the Vietnam War lottery draft.

In 1940, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Selective Training and Service Act. This act made it possible for the government to fill vacancies in the military forces when there were not enough volunteers (“History” pg.1). One of the most used methods of selecting young men to war was called lottery drafting. The first lottery draft was held on December 1st, 1969. To use this method, 366 capsules containing birth dates were placed in a large container. Then, men from the age of 18 until the age of 26 were chosen by their birthdays to become soldiers (“Selective” pg.1). During the Vietnam War, more than half of the soldiers were volunteers. Though there were a lot of volunteers, it was necessary to call in more to fill spots that they could not. The men drafted into the war were typically from the poor or working classes. The lottery draft caused many American protestors to criticize, especially because many did not support the war in the first place (Bia pg.1). Because of the oppression upon the unlucky selected men to join the war effort by force, many tried to escape from their duties. Men who had physical or mental disabilities were excused from the draft. If the man or boy is needed at home to help support his family, he may also be excused. ...

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...ced to find out who someone really is when put into certain stressful situations.

Works Cited

"History of the Draft." History of the Draft. Selective Service, n.d. Web. 1 May 2014.

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Kindig, Jessie . "Vietnam War: Draft Resistance." Vietnam: Draft Resistance. N.p., n.d. Web. 1

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Bia, Ku. "Vietnam War Draft - The Vietnam War." The Vietnam War. N.p., 25 July 2013. Web.

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O'Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. New York: Broadway Books, 1990. Print.

"Selective Service System: History and Records." Selective Service System: History and

Records. ©2012 Selective Service System, 16 June 2009. Web. 1 May 2014.

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