When did the draft for Vietnam start?

December 1, 1969
On December 1, 1969, the first draft lottery since 1942 began, but college deferments were kept intact. Anti-war activists recognized the draft lottery system did not produce truly random results. The draft received even more resistance as dissenters became more frustrated with the system.

How long did you have to serve in Vietnam if you were drafted?

The majority of service members deployed to South Vietnam were volunteers, even though hundreds of thousands of men opted to join the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard (for three or four year terms of enlistment) before they could be drafted, serve for two years, and have no choice over their military occupational …

Was there a Vietnam draft before 1969?

The lottery changed the way men were drafted in two ways: The lottery altered the dates year to year. Also, prior to 1969, older men — those closer to age 26 — were more likely to be drafted. The final lottery drawing was held March 1, 1975. Registration for the draft ended April 1, 1975.

When did the draft begin?

September 16, 1940
On September 16, 1940, the United States instituted the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, which required all men between the ages of 21 and 45 to register for the draft. This was the first peacetime draft in United States’ history.

What year did people get drafted for the Vietnam War?

The Draft in Context. The military draft brought the war to the American home front. During the Vietnam War era, between 1964 and 1973 , the U.S. military drafted 2.2 million American men out of an eligible pool of 27 million. Although only 25 percent of the military force in the combat zones were draftees, the system of conscription caused many young American men to volunteer for the armed forces in order to have more of a choice of which division in the military they would serve.

When did USA end the draft for Vietnam?

U.S. military draft ends, Jan. 27, 1973 On the day in 1973, as the Vietnam War drew to a close, the Selective Service announced that there would be no further draft calls.

What was minimum draft age during Vietnam War?

The Vietnam War draft was controversial because people who did not support the war and had no say in formulating war policy were nevertheless being forced to fight. Draftees could be under 21 (18 at the youngest), and at that time, nobody under the age of 21 was allowed to vote.

What year did the draft end for Vietnam?

Answer Wiki. The last draft was for Vietnam and ended in January, 1973. The US pulled most troops out of Vietnam that year and so the need for service members had been drastically reduced. Saigon fell in April, 1975 to conventional forces and was renamed Ho Chi Minh City.