The Soapbox

Joined: 10/11/2001 Posts: 13250
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No, the shit really hit the fan in about 1965, in terms of conscription.

as to the volunteer thing--because of the specter of the draft, a lot of people joined instead of being drafted because they could choose their MOS.

from wikipedia:
There were 8,744,000 servicemembers between 1964 and 1975, of whom 3,403,000 were deployed to Southeast Asia.[57] From a pool of approximately 27 million, the draft raised 2,215,000 men for military service (in the United States, South Vietnam, and elsewhere) during the Vietnam War era. The majority of servicemembers deployed to South Vietnam were volunteers, even though hundreds of thousands of men opted to join the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard (for three or four year terms of enlistment) rather than risk being drafted, serve for two years, and have no choice over their military occupational specialty (MOS).[58]

(In response to this post by WahooRQ)

Link: a good summary from UM

Posted: 02/18/2020 at 7:36PM

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Current Thread:

Ok Boomer... -- Hooddihsm 02/18/2020 2:52PM

I was watching a documentary on the Fyre Festival and I couldn't help -- Chuck Taylor 02/18/2020 3:48PM

That Fyre Festival doc was depressing. I followed that up with Bad Blood. -- Seattle .Hoo 02/18/2020 4:32PM

RussFest was a much better outing. -- WahooRQ 02/18/2020 5:18PM

TDS alert ** -- TomKazanski 02/18/2020 4:47PM

It's a weird thing to generalize an entire generation of human beings ** -- Hooddihsm 02/18/2020 3:56PM

It is, but there's some sweet irony to it. Generationalism wasn't even a -- WahooRQ 02/18/2020 4:48PM

So how did the boomers invent generalism? -- 111Balz 02/18/2020 5:20PM

The greatest generation, followed by the worst -- wahoo138 02/18/2020 4:55PM

The greatest generation drafted me generation boys -- DanTheFan 02/18/2020 5:29PM

But more members of the Silent Generation fought and died in Vietnam than -- WahooRQ 02/18/2020 5:42PM

You might want to research that ** -- Hoogle.com 02/18/2020 7:44PM

Here's a little chart for you, kid -- southdenverhoo 02/18/2020 6:19PM

...and their average was nineteen..na na na nineteen ** -- Tuckahokie 02/18/2020 6:38PM

Which is also not true (although it made for a catchy song). Average age -- WahooRQ 02/18/2020 6:47PM

Bummer...Paul Hardcastle was wrong...oh well ** -- Tuckahokie 02/18/2020 6:53PM

Now apply an average age of 23.1 to your own numbers, grampa. :) -- WahooRQ 02/18/2020 6:28PM

I've always seen the start of the boom given as 1945 fwiw but below -- southdenverhoo 02/18/2020 6:38PM

Odd, never seen 1944 as the start and def never seen 1979 as the cutoff for -- WahooRQ 02/18/2020 6:46PM

Note wiki has Silent Generation as 1928-1945. -- southdenverhoo 02/18/2020 7:46PM

I have read the boom started anywhere from '45 to '48 ** -- Tuckahokie 02/18/2020 6:46PM

First combat troops landed in March 1965 -- DanTheFan 02/18/2020 6:14PM

If I'm not mistaken, there was no draft until near the end of the war -- -- WahooRQ 02/18/2020 6:21PM

That was when they turned the draft into a lottery. Before that, everyone -- Hoogle.com 02/18/2020 7:46PM

That's a big negatory. Ever see Bye Bye Birdie? comedy musical inspired by -- southdenverhoo 02/18/2020 6:46PM

OK I’m going to correct your terms of service violation -- 111Balz 02/18/2020 9:04PM

So consider me mistaken (although the vast majority of men who fought and -- WahooRQ 02/18/2020 6:51PM

No, the shit really hit the fan in about 1965, in terms of conscription. -- southdenverhoo 02/18/2020 7:36PM

That's wrong. The lottery system began in 1969. -- DanTheFan 02/18/2020 6:35PM

According to this source, 70% of US KIA in Vietnam were volunteers. -- WahooRQ 02/18/2020 6:41PM

Again, that's just wrong about the draft. -- DanTheFan 02/18/2020 7:09PM

Exactly. I always appreciate your command of history ** -- 111Balz 02/18/2020 9:28PM

It's interesting but does it matter? Just going to that shit show was bad -- Seattle .Hoo 02/18/2020 6:46PM

You could get a good tan over there. ** -- Hoogle.com 02/18/2020 7:48PM

My dad was a Silent, BTW. Fought in Korea. ** -- Seattle .Hoo 02/18/2020 6:03PM

Yep Iraq was dumb, but we were a volunteer army by then, thanks in part to -- Seattle .Hoo 02/18/2020 6:02PM

They did indeed. Go die for the domino theory. ** -- Seattle .Hoo 02/18/2020 5:32PM

I certainly don’t think history will agree with that. -- 111Balz 02/18/2020 5:19PM

On another note, how hilarious is the Boomer v Millennial feud to any -- WahooRQ 02/18/2020 5:14PM

As a late ‘64, I feel like Switzerland ** -- TpkeHoo 02/18/2020 7:33PM

Well, better than Maryland ** -- 111Balz 02/18/2020 10:50PM

Where do you see that? ** -- 111Balz 02/18/2020 5:21PM

Some truth to that, but somewhere along the line before he died Carlin went -- Seattle .Hoo 02/18/2020 3:15PM

Lmao- a good one, and my Gen Z or X and Millenial kids should get a kick -- Charleston Cav 02/18/2020 3:10PM

Just an FYI, but most of us Gen X'ers are in our 40s or 50s by now. -- WahooRQ 02/18/2020 3:22PM

Cool part is, we don't give e a fuck. ** -- southdenverhoo 02/18/2020 3:32PM

Cue up Country Joe and the Fish ** -- Tuckahokie 02/18/2020 4:04PM

Great example of a Silent Generation band that Boomers mistake as theirs. -- WahooRQ 02/18/2020 5:57PM

Although not a boomer, I still laughed. You have earned a pudding. ** -- Hoodafan 02/18/2020 3:59PM

If you're not a Boomer, you cut it about as close as one could cut it.... -- WahooRQ 02/18/2020 4:14PM

Simmer down little boy. ** -- Hoodafan 02/18/2020 4:25PM

Said the stupid old boomer to the man significantly bigger than he is. ** -- WahooRQ 02/18/2020 4:26PM

Whatever you have to tell yourself to pump up that self-esteem AltQ. It may -- Hoodafan 02/18/2020 4:32PM

See, only a real BOOMER could be that big a snowflake. ** -- WahooRQ 02/18/2020 4:34PM

I don’t peg hooda as a boomer ** -- Hooddihsm 02/18/2020 4:37PM

I think his claim is that he was born in 1965 (the year the classification -- WahooRQ 02/18/2020 4:45PM

I've read Gen X as 1961-81. The boundaries seem fluid. ** -- Seattle .Hoo 02/18/2020 6:06PM

Always is. Same goes for Boomers -- some say 46, some 48, some say it -- WahooRQ 02/18/2020 6:16PM

I just read one that said 1944-1964. But I've always heard and read it -- southdenverhoo 02/18/2020 6:35PM

Yep my wife was born in '52, me in '57. She had friends in Vietnam. I had -- Seattle .Hoo 02/18/2020 6:28PM

That of course adds to you guys' charm! :) ** -- WahooRQ 02/18/2020 3:49PM

Every other generation sucks...'cept for The Greatest Generation ** -- Tuckahokie 02/18/2020 3:30PM

They had their warts ** -- hooshouse 02/18/2020 3:31PM

Of course...but I do wonder if any generation since could have done what -- Tuckahokie 02/18/2020 3:47PM

What do you consider to be their achievements? -- DanTheFan 02/18/2020 5:27PM

I virtually just patted your head and told you to go outside and play** -- 111Balz 02/18/2020 3:25PM

You being old af makes a lot of sense. ** -- hooshouse 02/18/2020 3:21PM