General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Wonder why Wayne LaPierre wasn't in the Army during Vietnam? [View all]FakeNoose
(32,639 posts)A lot of guys my age (I'm 66) were still in school during the years of the draft lottery - that started in 1969 as I recall. Male students may have gotten a low number in the lottery but they still kept their S-1 deferment as long as they stayed in school. A lot of guys my age actually graduated college and enrolled immediately in graduate school in order to keep their S-1 deferment. That didn't always work though.
I've no idea what Rush Limbaugh did, but it would have been a common maneuver. By about 1974 they weren't drafting so many guys because the war was winding down and Uncle Sam had volunteers and re-ups to fill spots. There were other strategies, as we all know. Some guys were able to get a 4-F for a medical problem, others got out on a CO - conscientious objector. Some guys got married and had a baby, and Uncle Sam gave them a pass. If you were a teacher you got a deferment, and some split for Canada. It wasn't a good time to be a young male in America.