Conscientious objector prerogative

There has been a lot of talk about Mohamed Ali getting out of the Vietnam War via invoking his right as a conscientious objector. This got me curious about why didn't everybody who didn't want to fight in that war invoke that right? According to Wikipedia, it wasn't so simple as just saying "I object to being drafted." For one thing, before 1971, you had to associate the objection to a religious affiliation. You also can't just cherry pick what wars you like and don't like, but have to object to all of them.

Nevertheless, you heard a lot about young men at the time fleeing to Canada or living under the radar during the war. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you were drafted and didn't go without valid excuse, you could be put in jail. If I were of draft age or getting close, I think I would quickly convert to being a Quaker or whatever other pacifist religion seemed the easiest to join and required the least of my time. Then again, it is easy to say that now. At the time, full of testosterone and no other prospects, I might have thought differently.

Did some people do such quick religious conversions out of convenience? There must be some reason you didn't see a lot of that. I've met Vietnam veterans in the hundreds but never once met a conscientious objector, to my knowledge.

Also, that Wikipedia article says in lieu of the service you had to do community service or some kind. What did Mohamed Ali do instead of his service?

The question for the poll is had you of draft age at the time, what would you have done?

I thought he went to jail.

The fourth and final lottery drawing was held on February 2, 1972, pertaining to men born in 1953, who would have been called to report for induction in 1973. But no new draft orders were issued after 1972. On January 27, 1973, Secretary of Defense Melvin R. Laird announced the creation of an all-volunteer armed forces, negating the need for the military draft. On March 29, 1975, President Ford, whose own son, Steven Ford, failed to register for the draft as required, signed Proclamation 4360 (Terminating Registration Procedures Under Military Selective Service Act), eliminating the registration requirement for all 18- to 25-year-old male citizens.

The Fall of Saigon was on April 30, 1975.

I turned 18 on August 6 1975 and I went to register, having not heard about Proclamation 4360.So I suppose I would have gone to the draft had I been older. A friend of mine re-enlisted in Vietnam.

Quote: Pacomartin

I turned 18 on August 6 1975

You were a tad on the young side, but you must have known people who were drafted and others who dodged the draft. Did you know any conscientious objectors?

Also, is it true that being a father was a rock-solid excuse to get out of it?

I was of the prime draft age for Vietnam but of course being Canadian it wasn't an issue. Even though my parents and many of my friends might have called me a hippy then I probably would have registered and gone if my number was called. One of the things that many of the younger members of the forum might not relate to is that most of those of draft age for Vietnam had parents or uncles that served in WWII and grew up with war stories and how important it had been to stop Hitler.

I was in college in 68 and in 69
my lottery number was in the
320's, so I wasn't getting drafted.
I knew lots and lots of guys
that went to Nam, most never
saw action. I knew just as many
that never saw Nam and spent
their 2 years in Germany and
Japan and Korea. The whole
draft thing being a Vietnam
death sentence has been blown
way out of proportion. All the
guys I knew had the time of
their lives in the military.

The most I ever heard from a vet was in some special unit that was using some new technology at the time to find parts of the Ho Chi Minh trail and intercept those using it. However, it was a huge waste of money that cost millions of dollars per North Vietnamese solder killed. He also said that at least 99% of the time he was sitting around playing Risk with other soldiers.

Quote: Wizard

You were a tad on the young side, but you must have known people who were drafted and others who dodged the draft. Did you know any conscientious objectors?

Not really. The end of true draft was June 1973 when I was still age 15, and I had no older brothers, sisters or cousins. I don't remember being worried about it.

* 9,087,000 military personnel served on active duty during the Vietnam Era (August 5, 1964 - May 7, 1975).
* 8,744,000 GIs were on active duty during the war (Aug 5, 1964-March 28,1973).
* 2,709,918 Americans served in Vietnam, this number represents 9.7% of their generation.
* 3,403,100 (Including 514,300 offshore) personnel served in the broader Southeast Asia Theater (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, flight crews based in Thailand, and sailors in adjacent South China Sea waters).
* 2,594,000 personnel served within the borders of South Vietnam (Jan. 1,1965 - March 28, 1973). Another 50,000 men served in Vietnam between 1960 and 1964.
* Of the 2.6 million, between 1-1.6 million (40-60%) either fought in combat, provided close support or were at least fairly regularly exposed to enemy attack.
* 7,484 women (6,250 or 83.5% were nurses) served in Vietnam.
* Peak troop strength in Vietnam: 543,482 (April 30, 1968).

CO... many had a series of discussions with a Rabbi and were exempted.
Many used a little known trick of surrending their education deferrment with a letter full of communist invective that lead the draft board to lower their classification.
I knew one guy who went to Canada on a football scholarship before the draft calls.
The lottery was a way to end draft protests: the safe ones didn't protest, the high ones accepted their fate and enlisted, the remaining protesters were few in number.

Many COs opted for Medic Training in Texas. They got 45s and armbands and were generally targeted by the VC/NVA.

One man enlisted four weeks short of 18 and upon his attainment of the age of majority, he rejected his contract of enlistment. The army consideredhim to have fulfilled his entire military obligation.

Anyone who went into the CG Reserves was considered to have fulfilled their entire military obligation when the CG reserve was disbanded.

Myth: Common belief is that most Vietnam veterans were drafted.

Fact: 2/3 of the men who served in Vietnam were volunteers. 2/3 of the men who served in World War II were drafted. Approximately 70% of those killed in Vietnam were volunteers.

Myth: Common belief is that the war was fought largely by the poor and uneducated.

Fact: Servicemen who went to Vietnam from well-to-do areas had a slightly elevated risk of dying because they were more likely to be pilots or infantry officers. Vietnam Veterans were the best educated forces our nation had ever sent into combat. 79% had a high school education or better.

Myth: The United States lost the war in Vietnam.

Fact: The American military was not defeated in Vietnam. The American military did not lose a battle of any consequence. From a military standpoint, it was almost an unprecedented performance. A major military defeat for the VC and NVA.