--- title: "How to see if you would have been drafted to fight in Vietnam" description: "People naturally worry about being drafted. Here's how to see if you would have been drafted to fight in Vietnam." date: "2021-09-03" modified: "2022-12-21" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake.md" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-history/this-is-how-to-see-if-you-would-have-been-drafted-for-vietnam/" categories: - "History" - "Vietnam War" - "War History" tags: - "Military History" - "Vietnam War" --- # How to see if you would have been drafted to fight in Vietnam ![drafted for vietnam war WWI museum]() *(World War I Museum and Memorial)* Pretty much anytime the U.S. gets into any kind of conflict, fears of a draft start to bubble to the surface of American society. It's totally understandable. We've come to accept and appreciate the American all-volunteer force. The last time a draft call went out was Dec. 7, 1972, and those men were inducted by June of 1973. Today, all American men are required to register with the Selective Service System, but an actual draft has been and remains unlikely. **Also Read:** [**11 ways Americans dodged the Vietnam War draft**]() But the memories of Vietnam are still very much alive. To celebrate Ken Burns' documentary "The Vietnam War," PBS and USA Today created a Vietnam War Draft Lottery calculator, where users could simply enter their birth month and day to find out if they would have been drafted for [Vietnam War]() service. That calculator is defunct now, but a good idea is a good idea, and one can now be found at [Vietnam War Draft Calculator](). The calculator, of course, does not use your birth year because many of us were born well after the Vietnam War. For those born in 1950, however, being drafted in 1970 was a very real prospect. In today's all-volunteer military, the idea of someone being forced into that lifestyle change can seem very bizarre. Most of the men who rotated through the country were volunteers, but a significant number were not. Unlike World War II, there were no lines to sign up for service. And unlike the Civil War, there was no paying a substitute to take your place. But still, the perception existed that with money and connections, someone could avoid serving. So, in an effort to make the draft more fair (or at least appear fair), a lottery was put in place. ![drafted for vietnam lottery]() *It was seriously a lottery, complete with a drawing. On live TV.* Draft-age men were assigned a number between 1 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 the service. Some went to college or graduate school, while others faked medical conditions, while others fled to Canada. In all, half a million Americans dodged their Vietnam War service. They were fugitives until 1977, when President Jimmy Carter ordered a general amnesty. Deserters, those who joined the military and then left their units without taking leave, however, were not given amnesty. ![draft dodgers pardoned]() *Carter pardoned draft dodgers the day after his inauguration. (The White House)* Ken Burns' film recalls the accounts of more than 100 witnesses to the war in what he calls a "360-degree narrative." The 10-part, 18-hour documentary "The Vietnam War" is still [available for streaming on PBS](). Although the U.S. military continues to engage in conflicts around the world, there is very little reason to worry about a new draft. Although it looked bad for a while, every military branch reportedly [either reached or exceeded]() its latest recruitment goals. The all-volunteer system is alive and well. ### Don’t Miss the Best of We Are The Mighty **• [8 of the most terrifying Vietnam War booby traps]()** **• [The real story of Jane Fonda and the Vietnam vets who hate her]()** **• [5 terrifying things US troops faced in Vietnam’s jungles]()** ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]() ## More - [The Vietnam War draft wasn’t as random as you think]() - [Everything you need to know about how the Vietnam War draft actually worked]() - [11 ways Americans dodged the Vietnam War draft]() - [Today in military history: US holds first Vietnam War draft]() - [Here’s what happens when the US starts a military draft]() - [5 reasons why a military draft would be a horrible idea]() - [How effective draftees in the Vietnam War actually were]() - [Everything families need to know about autism diagnosis and automatic draft registration]()