On 1/17/2014 1:33 PM, F.O.A.D. wrote:
On 1/17/14, 12:25 PM, Poco Loco wrote:
On Fri, 17 Jan 2014 10:14:24 -0500, "F.O.A.D." wrote:


I never experienced the "delights" of a pre-induction physical, but a
few of my contemporaries told me about their experiences in the mid to
late 1960s. They weren't as exciting as Arlo Guthrie's saga in "Alice's
Restaurant," but I do recall them telling me the pre-induction screening
was minimalist in nature.

When I was living in West Virginia, one of my buddies was an Army
captain and physician who was the "doc" who examined potential enlistees
in Cabell County. I recall him telling me of the great numbers of
wannabes he had to turn down because the ravages of the poverty of their
youth kept them from meeting even minimal standards. It was sad, he
said, because the military would have offered them a way out of their
abject poverty and lack of educational opportunities.

You must not have been around during the 'Project 100,000' days.
Funny, being drafted and going
through the 'system', and I've never heard of the 'great numbers'
turned down because of the
'ravages of poverty' keeping them from meeting minimal standards. I
think you were had. Draftees
didn't have to meet very high educational standards. Many could speak
only minimal English.


I don't know what "Project 100,000" was.

Let's run through this again.

My friend, the military doctor examining physician in the area of West
Virginia where I lived for a while told me he turned down great numbers
of potential enlistees because the ravages of poverty kept them from
meeting even minimal standards.

Now, ask yourself, what does an examining *physician* mainly look at
recruits?

He looks mainly at their physical health. As in how healthy are they
physically? Upon observation and examination, do they appear physically
healthy enough for military service? Are there indications of problems
because of the ravages of childhood diseases, poor nutrition, et cetera?
How about their teeth?

Now, surely, if a potential recruit was otherwise acceptable but the doc
picked up on a gross mental or emotional abnormality, that might trigger
a rejection, but the doctor mainly was looking for physical conditions.

His comment about lack of educational opportunities was his way of
plugging what was available to these guys once they were in the
military, in that they certainly had few educational venues back home.
They'd likely end up unemployable or working a miserable job in the
mines or driving a coal truck or pumping gas. In the military, at least,
they might learn skills that would serve them in their futures.

I wasn't talking about "high educational standards" they weren't able to
meet.




What are the "great numbers" that your doctor friend turned away? 10?
100? 1,000?, 10,000?



Interesting statistics regarding the Vietnam era from 1963 to 1973 when
the last person was drafted:


9,087,000 Military personnel served on active duty during the Vietnam
Era. Aug. 5, 1964 - May 7, 1975.

8,744,000 GIs Were on active duty during the war. Aug. 5, 1964 - March
28, 1973

Total draftees (1965-73): 1,728,344.
Those who actually served in Vietnam 38%.

25% (648,500) Of total forces in country were draftees.
Draftees accounted for 30.4% (17,725) of combat deaths in Vietnam.

76% Of the men sent to Vietnam were from lower middle/working class
backgrounds

Three fourths had family incomes above the poverty level; 50% were from
middle income backgrounds.

82% Of Veterans who saw heavy combat strongly believe the war was lost
because of lack of political will.

Nearly 75% Of the public agrees it was a failure of political will not
of arms.

Source: U.S. Government (VA Web Site Stats)

It is interesting to me that most who served during the Vietnam War era
did so voluntarily and were not drafted. I am sure there were many who,
like me, received a draft notice but chose to join a service of choice
instead.