Cheney/Staff refuse to answer LA Times questions on his 5 'Nam deferments

[papau]

Vice President Cheney and his staff refused to answer the Los Angeles Times' questions about the Veep's draft deferments

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/2004/la-na-cheney16sep16,1,7338994.story?coll=la-news-elect2004

Cheney's Draft Deferments Not Outside the Norm
Other men, especially those in college, took that route, an author of a book on the draft says.
By Nick Anderson
Times Staff Writer

September 16, 2004

WASHINGTON — Democrats now accuse him of ducking a war that defined his generation. But when 18-year-old Dick Cheney became eligible for the draft in 1959, compulsory military service did not loom large in the future vice president's life — or for many other young men of his generation.

True, Elvis Presley had just been drafted into the Army, but the pace of inductions was slow. The Cold War was on, and few Americans gave any thought to troubles in Southeast Asia.

Over the next eight years, though, the draft would cast a growing shadow over Cheney and others like him as the United States plunged into a military conflict in Vietnam that forced many young men to answer their country's call.

Cheney received his first draft deferment in March 1963, records show, two years before President Lyndon B. Johnson launched a large military offensive in Vietnam.

Days before his 25th birthday, in January 1966, Cheney obtained his fifth and final deferment. It ensured that he would not have to serve in a war that eventually claimed more than 58,000 American lives.

On Jan. 30, 1967, as the war raged, Cheney turned 26, an age that removed him from the draft pool for good.<snip>

When Cheney faced Senate confirmation hearings in 1989 for his nomination to lead the Pentagon, he was quoted as saying he "would have obviously been happy to serve" had he been called. Another Cheney quote from that time: "I had other priorities in the '60s than military service."

[amber dog democrat]

1. That's OK. Lets have this come up during the VP debates.

I would love to see how he will handle being questioned about his hypocracy.

[frankly_fedup2]

2. FINALLY! I'm glad to see that someone has finally brought up . . .

his obvious cowardice. I just don't know how he was able to get the five deferments.

[Kierkegaard]

3. OK, and since you are asking for our votes in November,

here is my quote: "I have other priorities than re-selecting a fascist regime to run our country. John Kerry, on whom we can count to step up to bat when we need him, can count on MY vote in November!"

[blm]

4. And now Bush and Cheney want the draft age upped to 34.

That's the lesson THEY learned from the Vietnam War.

[Rob H.]

5. NYTimes ran an article about Cheney's (lack of) service back in May

Here's the whole thing: Cheneys Five Draft Deferments During the Vietnam Era Emerge as a Campaign Issue

Excerpt (timeline):

In February 1962, when Mr. Cheney was classified as 1-A — available for service — he was doing poorly at Yale. But the military was taking only older men at that point, and like others who were in college at the time, Mr. Cheney seemed to have little concern about being drafted.

In June, he left Yale. After returning home to Casper, a small city in east-central Wyoming, he worked as a lineman for a power company.

At that point, the Vietnam War was still just a glimmer on the horizon. In 1962, only 82,060 men were inducted into the service, the fewest since 1949. Mr. Cheney was eligible for the draft but, as he said during his confirmation hearings in 1989, he was not called up because the Selective Service System was taking only older men.

But by 1963, ferment in Vietnam was rising. Mr. Cheney enrolled in Casper Community College in January 1963 — he turned 22 that month — and sought his first student deferment on March 20, according to records from the Selective Service System. After transferring to the University of Wyoming at Laramie, he sought his second student deferment on July 23, 1963.

On Aug. 7, 1964, Congress approved the Gulf of Tonkin resolution, which allowed President Lyndon B. Johnson to use unlimited military force in Vietnam. The war escalated rapidly from there.

Just 22 days later, Mr. Cheney married his high school sweetheart, Lynne. He sought his third student deferment on Oct. 14, 1964.

In May 1965, Mr. Cheney graduated from college and his draft status changed to 1-A. But he was married, which offered him some protection.

In July, President Johnson announced that he was doubling the number of men drafted. The number of inductions soared, to 382,010 in 1966 from 230,991 in 1965 and 112,386 in 1964.

Mr. Cheney obtained his fourth deferment when he started graduate school at the University of Wyoming on Nov. 1, 1965.

On Oct. 6, 1965, the Selective Service lifted its ban against drafting married men who had no children. Nine months and two days later, Mr. Cheney's first daughter, Elizabeth, was born.* On Jan. 19, 1966, when his wife was about 10 weeks pregnant, Mr. Cheney applied for 3-A status, the "hardship" exemption, which excluded men with children or dependent parents. It was granted.**

In January 1967, Mr. Cheney turned 26 and was no longer eligible for the draft.

*Emphasis added. <sarcasm> Y'mean Dick cynically gamed the system? Perish the thought! </sarcasm>

**Since their daughter was in utero at the time of Cheney's application, Dick was not eligible for a 3-A deferment. (From what I've been able to ascertain digging around on the web, 3-A applies to men with children or dependent parents, not those who have children on the way.)

[Rob H.]

6. Oops.

What I meant to say was, "From what I've been able to ascertain digging around on the web, 3-A applies only to men with children or dependent parents, not those who have children on the way."