The first number drawn was 258 (September 14), so all registrants with that birthday were assigned lottery number 1. The second number drawn corresponded to April 24, and so forth. All men of draft age (born January 1, 1944 to December 31, 1950) who shared a birth date would be called to serve at once.

What number did the Vietnam draft get to?

Draft-age men were assigned a number between one and 366, depending on their birthday. The lowest numbers were called first. This was all entirely at random. Of course, that didn’t stop some of those who were called to service from further avoiding Selective Service.

What were the draft lottery numbers in 1969?

N69 gives the results of the lottery held on December 1, 1969, for men born from 1944 through 1950. The highest lottery number called for this group was 195; all men assigned that lottery number or any lower number, and who were classified as available for military service, were called to report for possible induction.

What were the chances of being drafted in Vietnam?

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.

Why was the Vietnam draft Unfair?

The draft was viewed as unequal because the working class man’s only choice was to go to war, while the wealthy men would go to college or enlist in the National Guard. By the end of the 1960’s the nation was fed up with the war, and they were angry with how the war itself was being carried out.

How many Marines were drafted in Vietnam?

For Marines it had been a long and especially costly war. About 450,000 Leathernecks, mostly volunteers, served in Vietnam (42,600 were draftees). Some 13,000 were killed and 88,000 wounded (51,392 badly enough to be hospitalized).

Who was exempt from the Vietnam draft?

Technically, men who had held college or other deferments were eligible for induction until age 35. Since few men between the ages of 26 and 35 were ever drafted, how- ever, men who were able to maintain a college deferment until their 26th birthday could avoid service.

Was there a draft lottery in 1971?

Lottery Numbers by Birth Date for Selective Service Lottery held on August 5, 1971. This lottery determined the order in which men born in 1952 were called to report for induction into the military.

How did the 1969 draft work?

On Dec. 1, 1969, the United States held its first draft lottery, which gave young men a random number corresponding to their birthdays. Men with lower numbers were called first and told to report to induction centers where they could be ordered into active duty and possibly sent to the Vietnam War.

Was there a draft lottery in 1970?

Abstract: In 1970, Congress instituted a random selection process for the military draft. All 366 possible birth dates were placed in plastic capsules in a rotating drum and were selected one by one. The first date drawn from the drum received draft number one and eligible men born on that date were drafted first.

How long did the Vietnam draft last?

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.

Who would get drafted first?

The first men drafted would be those turning age 20 during the calendar year of the lottery. For example, if a draft were held in 2020, those men born in 2000 would be considered first.

What disqualifies you from being drafted?

There are age, citizenship, physical, education, height/weight, criminal record, medical, and drug history standards that can exclude you from joining the military.

What unit saw the most combat in Vietnam?

# 1: The 23rd Infantry Division

The amount of top awards earned by Soldiers of the 23rd are numerous for their heroic actions in Vietnam. The Americal Division (23rd Infantry Division) was formed from elements of Task Force Oregon in Chu Lai, Southern First Corps, Republic of South Vietnam on 26 September 1967.

How many Vietnam veterans are still alive 2021?

“Of the 2,709,918 Americans who served in Vietnam, Less than 850,000 are estimated to be alive today, with the youngest American Vietnam veteran’s age approximated to be 60 years old.”

How many draftees died in Vietnam?

WASHINGTON, Feb. 11—The war in Vietnam has claimed more than 12,000 deaths among draftees, most of them in the army, the Pentagon said today. This means that about one of every 104 draftees from June, 1965, the beginning of the Vietnam build‐up, to June, 1969, was killed in action.