Selective Service System (SSS)

“It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no senator's son, son”
”It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no!”

 John Fogarty

 

I became eligible for the draft before the draft lottery was implemented. During this time, those of us who were drafted were picked, or selected, by the SSS or “draft board”, which consisted of volunteers located within the same district in which the draftee resided. This being the case, we find that the members of the local board were often involved in choosing whether friends or the sons of friends would serve in the military, or stay at home and become good private citizens.

 

Being drafted into the military (which was in almost all cases the Army) during this time was almost a guarantee of being sent to Viet Nam. Allow me to use this as an example. There were five of us who were best friends during high school. All five served in the military; four were sent to Viet Nam.

 

Not everyone knows that every male-child born in this country has a six-year military obligation.  It is for this reason that all young men must register with the SSS on or before their eighteenth birthday; that their names will be readily available, in case the need (usually a national emergency or declaration of war) for the draft arises. This was the case during the mid to late sixties to very early seventies. Deferments (or waivers for not serving) were given for obvious reasons, but some were given for not so obvious reasons.

 

During World War II, very few were exempt from the draft. Men from all walks of life were called upon to serve their country. The most common deferments during this time were for mental or physical incapacities or if someone’s career or job dealt in some way with the security or welfare of the nation.

 

During the Viet Nam era however, other reasons were brought into view. One of which was the “education deferment”. During this time, a young man attending college on a full time basis was “excused” from military duty. After finishing his undergraduate studies he was, by law, eligible to be drafted if he did not go on graduate school, yet I cannot think of any of those who ever served in the military, other than someone who may have enlisted.

 

The prime “pick” for the SSS was the nineteen year old, who had no plans for college and was seemingly going nowhere with his life anyway. It was almost as if our draft board did not want to “waste” a young educated young man by sending him off to war. This may seem facetious, yet one need only look back to that time to find that many of these things are not just mere conjectures.

 

Another reason for deferment was due to a disability, whether physical or mental. However, many who were classified as physically unfit when the “conflict” first began were reevaluated and were found, toward the end of the war, to be fit after all. The simple fact of the matter was that our country was running out of boys to serve, therefore the board could not be so choosey. But one thing was for sure. Even though many with disabilities were being reclassified, those who were in college or newly graduated from the same were very seldom, if ever, touched.

 

Another deferment was “married with children”. Marriage alone was not considered to be an exclusion from the military. If this had been the case, many would have married just to receive this deferment. The draft board didn’t have any qualms over separating husbands and wives. After all, these young wives were being paid an allotment during the absence of their husbands. What wasn’t mentioned was that, in order to offset the cost to the government; a portion of the soldiers pay (which at the time was only around ninety dollars a month) was taken and added to this small payment. Both together totaled less that two hundred dollars a month.

 

A man with wife and child did receive exemption from military duty.  Please understand that this had nothing to do with any of our government officials or the draft board feeling any guilt over any child being left without a father. No, this was not the case at all, but rather, a money issue. It simply was not cost effective, since the government was required to bear the financial burden of paying allotments to each child of the soldier.

 

Initially I was one of those who received a deferment by the “board”, as I was registered to attend junior college in the fall after my high school graduation. However I knew this was only putting off the inevitable, for I had only enough money saved for one year of school, and my family was barely scraping by.  My dad was fifty-eight years old and had been “laid off” from his job at a chicken feed mill. He had been a laborer all his life and finding work at his age was close to impossible. I would never ask him for any financial assistance. He was a proud man and having to deny help to his son would have hurt him terribly. He was in no way unwilling, but he simply did not have the monetary means to give aid.

 

After my first year of college, I again worked the summer months trying to save enough for the next school year. However, this summer’s work was not as lucrative as the previous year. For me to leave this job and go to school full time was not feasible. The funds simply were not there. So I opted to keep my job and attend school at night, taking on a full load of classes.  It was about this same time that I met the girl who was to become my wife. I must say that I was smitten. Working in Atlanta, driving to sixty or so miles in order to attend night classes, and all the while worrying that the love of my life could possibly slip away, was too much for me, so I dropped out of school, and started the task of convincing this beautiful young lady to become my wife.

 

Within days (literally) after I was dropped from the school roll, the “board” was hot on my trail.

 

After dating Ann for only two months I asked her to marry me. This was November. We set the wedding date for June of the next year. In December I was again ordered to make another trip to the induction center but was sent home. It was then that we decided to move the wedding date up to February 14, understanding that by waiting until June, I, more than likely, would have already been drafted, and that there was a strong possibility that, by that time, I could already be serving in Viet Nam, which also carried a possibility that I might not return home. We made the decision to take the time that had been afforded us and spend as much of it as we could together as man and wife, before this happened.

 

We were married on the new date that we had set, but surprisingly I wasn’t called again until March of the next year. This time I was not so lucky. I was inducted and sworn into the Army being sent to the US Army training center at Fort Benning, Ga. for basic training.

 

I have tried not to be overly critical, but I lived during that era and was eyewitness to many of what could be considered injustices that loomed within this system of sending young boys off to war. Considering the lyrics of John Fogarty’s song “Fortunate Son”, it seems I was not the only one that noticed the “inconsistencies” within the SSS. 

 

During the mid to late sixties, an eighteen-year old boy, who had graduated high school, had three options; go to college; join the military or be drafted. I cannot recall many, if any, of the “sons” of the doctors, lawyers, dentists, pharmacists, local businessmen, city or county officials, who were drafted into the military. I agree that most of these were attending college, but it I think it could be safely said that many of these were in college for one reason only, and that was to simply stay out of the military, to be more specific, Viet Nam! A few of my high school friends were just not college material, if I may say so, but they went on to college just the same.

           

I saw quite a few of the “boys” who were “called up”, and very few of those were not the sons of common laborers. I watched moms and dads as they would bring their sons to the rear parking area of the SSS, where a bus would take them to the induction center located in Atlanta, Georgia. I watched as they stood in stunned silence, tears streaming down their faces as their son climbed aboard the bus to be sent to away to boot camp. My parents did the same, but I also had a nineteen-year old wife whom I was leaving behind. We held onto each other as long as we could before I had to climb on board the bus that would take me away!

 

             There were a few who had “affluent” parents who chose not to go to college. Many of these were never drafted. Some were somehow able to get into the National Guard or Reserves, which for all practical purposes, were closed to most young men. There were a few who were overlooked completely by the draft board and were never called upon to serve. I must admit that this still puzzles me. However, I can recall a handful of boys who never signed up for the draft, even though being threatened with prison time if caught.  

 

 I doubt that anything “illegal” on the part of the local board ever occurred, but I will say that, in my opinion, there were some unethical practices that went on during these hard times. 

 

I think it would safe to say that Viet Nam could truthfully be called the “poor boy’s war”. I was one of them. Those of us, who could not afford any other way out, simply had to bite the bullet and await the inevitable.

 

I must admit that I would take nothing for the pride and experience of serving my country. I can only hope if the need should ever arise for another military draft that it would be executed in complete fairness to all those who may be considered eligible to serve.

 

Sam Everett