bbsoto Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 All, My 16 year old daughter has the following assignment for school and would appreciate some help from those who are veterans of the Vietnam era. Thanks in advance for your assistance. Bruce She will need your age during the war, sex and a statement to the following question: "If you were drafted into a war you did not believe your country should be fighting, and you could not claim exempt or conscientious objector status, would you choose to leave the country illegally, knowing that it may mean you can never come back, or to fight in the war, knowing that you will be made to kill people and may get seriously injured or die?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve1300 Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 All, My 16 year old daughter has the following assignment for school and would appreciate some help from those who are veterans of the Vietnam era. Thanks in advance for your assistance. Bruce She will need your age during the war, sex and a statement to the following question: "If you were drafted into a war you did not believe your country should be fighting, and you could not claim exempt or conscientious objector status, would you choose to leave the country illegally, knowing that it may mean you can never come back, or to fight in the war, knowing that you will be made to kill people and may get seriously injured or die?" Hey Bruce, good to see a post from you. It is amazing that you would now have a sixteen-year-old daughter ..... until I realize how long it has been since I last saw you. You are asking this question on a forum filled with ex-military types. Our answers will probably be skewed to the traditional side. I would not think we'd have many potential draft dodgers here. We've been in many combat situations in the last sixty years that don't directly fit the "protecting America" arena. As part of the military, we probably all went. If we had not been in the military and got drafted? Hard to imagine........ If we were an the age that leaves us elegible for the draft, we would probably also be at the age where we don't pay a lot of attention to politics. At the age, we still are too busy being young to be also politically aware. That being the case, we'd probably respond to our draft notifications and go where directed. Speaking for me, because I was raised with the idea of service and loyalty to my country, I'd still go where I am sent. The nature of the war would not be important. The idea that my country called and told me to go - that would be the bottom line. Are kids today raised with the idea of service and loyalty to the U.S. of A.? I don't know about the kids, but the current political arena doesn't inspire me with much respect for our current "leaders." I probably wouldn't cross the street for our current president or congress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donwon Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 One of the first acts of Jimmy Carter after he was electd was to grant amnisty to all that went to Canada to avoid the draft or going to SEA. That was a slap in the face to all that had served in SEA. I joined. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EClark Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 I joined the Air Force in Sept.65 because you couldn't get a job if you were class 1-A the factory's dindn't want to hire anyone they knew was going to the service they didn't want to keepyou on the rolls and pay benefits while you were gone. I was one of 9 kids living on a farm with winter coming on I was just going to be a burden on mon and dad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 I did not have to go, I was an only child. But I went because I belived it was the right thing to do. An I still belive that!! I was 19 when I enlisted and by the time I got to Nam I was 21 Cliff Ward Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 Young Lady, When it comes right down to it, you have to live with the decisions that you make as a young person for the rest of your life...I suspect that most of us have any number of friends within our age group that were able to avoid serving during the Vietnam conflict by employing any number of available subterfuges. I find that most of them, if not all, wonder in their later years if they made the right decision to wiggle their way out of serving their country. Those that state their sole reason for not serving their country is that they're against killing another human being is a red herring! I enlisted at 18, in 1966, right out of High School. I received my draft notice in July '66, but, decided to join the Air Force instead. Looking back, the four years that I spent as a Loadmaster, I would not trade for anything! That is not to say that there were periods in those four years, that at the time, I would have willingly traded places with just about anybody. In the end, we all have to live with the decisions and choices that we make throughout our life... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donwon Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 I lost a friend a week or so ago who joined the Marines. His mother was was French, so he didn't have to go into combat. He either stepped on a mine or jumped on a live grenade while there. My point, He didn't have to go, but he did. Tommy G. Powell - Laurens Tommy Gene Powell, 60, of 101 Verbatim Drive, passed away Tuesday, February 3, 2009, at Palmetto Health Richland in Columbia. Born in Laurens, he was a son of the late James and Genevieve Evou Powell. He was a disabled U.S. Marine Veteran having served in Vietnam and was of the Baptist Faith. He was involved for 30 years in the Dixie Youth Baseball League, where he was currently serving as President and had also been a Coach and Groundskeeper. Surviving is one daughter, Wendy Powell of the home; one son, Jamie Powell of the home; one brother, Charles Powell of Laurens; and one special granddaughter, Autumn Powell. Graveside services will be 2 p.m. Friday, February 6, 2009, at Forest Lawn Cemetery with Military Honors. The family will be at the residence and will receive friends at The Kennedy Mortuary Thursday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobWoods Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 I enlisted in the AF at 18 in Oct 1961, I had never heard of VietNam, so the war had no affect on my going in the service. I did go tdy to Saigon during my first term and was aware of what was going on when I re-upped in 65, I spent a tour flying in SEA in 67-68 hauling troops and their equipment and some times their bodies, not a pleasant part of the job. I returned to SEA flying gunships for a year in 72-73. My biggest disappointment was our country's lack of desire to win, we were put in harms way without a clear committment to victory. This great nation should never put its young men and women in harms way without a committent to winning. The Viet Cong and the NVA were committed, as are the Islamic militants that endanger the whole world today. We the Vietnam vets were sent to SEA in defense of a foreign policy that was wrong. But did people have a right to protest the war? Yes, they did. But to escape to Canada was wrong and they should never have been given amnesty, Jimmy Carter was wrong!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbsoto Posted February 16, 2009 Author Share Posted February 16, 2009 All, Thanks for the quick responses, I appreciate all your reply's. I still need a few more to finish my assignment. Samantha Steve, I guess its been a few years since we have seen one another. As I remember the last time was in Germany at Rhein Main probably in 1996. I was there for fuel cell work on my HC-130. We flew in from Saudi Arabia and I was there for a few weeks. Samantha was probably 2 years old at that time, boy how time fly's. My son is in the Navy working P-3's at Whidby Island and my oldest daughter graduated High School last May. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C130Hcc Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 I enlisted in 1972 near the end of the war. My draft number was 48 and knew I'd be in the Army if drafted. I was a member of the Civil Air Patrol for several years and knew at an early age I would join the Air Force. I passed my AF entrance examine when I was 16. I agree with Donwon and his assesment of the 'Peanut Farmer' - Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spectre623 Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 (edited) It seems that all the wars we have fought in my lifetime, that is since WW2, were fought for the good of a people who were being forced into a way of life that was against all America stood for. They were started for a good reason but finished wrong, starting with Korea. Seems when the folks back home are not included in at least some of the hardships of a country at war they seem to soon forget we who are in the war. As a result they are soon out protesting against the war no matter the good reason it was started. I enlisted in 1962 and recieved my draft notice while in AF basic training. This is the greatest country in the world because we have had men go into war not because they wanted to or thought it was right, but because in the past we were taught from childhood and including in school, that it was our responsibility. We were taught as American citizens to go into the military and do our part for our country whether we were at peace or at war. Any help from schools nowdays to that respect, has gone in the opposite direction. Our country is on the downhill slide due to our broken moral compass and system of "lazie fare", but it is still MY country right or wrong. And yes, I would go again if called and serve proudly. I could never look in the mirror again if asked to serve my country and not do it. Bill Edited February 18, 2009 by Spectre623 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patrick29 Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 I didn't want to be drafted, so I joined the Air Force when I was 19, in 1968. I wanted to go to Viet Nam because, even though there were those who thought it was an unjust war, I lived in the US and would do whatever was needed for my country. Sure, I was spit on and called a baby killer by my ex "friends" when I came home, but I still believed I was doing what my country needed me to do. I never thought of deserting, but didn't care if others decided to. What bothered me was the people who deserted this great land of ours who came back after the war, and received priority in getting jobs over the Vets. To me, if you want to leave, that's fine. In fact, if you want to leave, maybe you should. Just don't bother to come back. I think you'll find a patriotic feeling from those who answer on this site, after all, we're military! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in WV Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 To answer the question: I would serve if drafted. I did not serve in SEA. I was stateside from 1972-1975 and got out on a program called Palace Chase. I doubled the time I had left on my enlistment. I stayed in the West Virginia ANG until 2002 and retired with 30 years + 2 months. I was called up during Desert Storm. I didn't hate the enemy. Most were SOBs that were pressed into service and didn't want to be in combat and didn't believe in Saddam's cause. I didn't "want" to be in the middle east but I did my duty. It's not that I didn't believe in the war or resented being called up, I just don't like the middle east. I wasn't that bad at all. If the SOBs that were pressed into service were killed by the munitions I hauled, well that's the way war works. When we came home we got a big welcome. My sentiment was "I'm the same baby killing SOB I was in 1972 when I joined the AF and I do it for my country whether it's grateful or not". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmitch Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 At first I thought it was a good question than I noticed the bias was set to the liberal point of view. At age 19 most young men don't question their country. My parents were both from Canada and I was first generation American in my family, the thought of leaving never came up in my thought patter en. Also at 19 you don't think you can die let alone kill somebody else.(I have since learned differently) I joined the air force to support my country and I didn't like walking than anymore than I do now. I was drafted two weeks after I joined the air force my mother sent it back and said already in. Personally I think your daughter is in need of a new teacher just to set the record strait. We went because we wanted to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbsoto Posted April 28, 2011 Author Share Posted April 28, 2011 At first I thought it was a good question than I noticed the bias was set to the liberal point of view. At age 19 most young men don't question their country. My parents were both from Canada and I was first generation American in my family, the thought of leaving never came up in my thought patter en. Also at 19 you don't think you can die let alone kill somebody else.(I have since learned differently) I joined the air force to support my country and I didn't like walking than anymore than I do now. I was drafted two weeks after I joined the air force my mother sent it back and said already in. Personally I think your daughter is in need of a new teacher just to set the record strait. We went because we wanted to jmitch, Thanks for responding:-)) Samantha is a college freshman now and onto bigger and better subjects. I agree with your assessment of her former teacher though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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