Yes. They tried to fill their quotas with volunteers, but drafted what they needed if there were not enough volunteers any given day.
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Were Marines drafted into the Vietnam War?
Yes draftees could be sent to any of the branches, but the vast majority ended up in the US Army. And despite modern revisionist history by the Marine Corps, and popular culture, all branches and formations which deployed to SE Asia suffered from collapses in discipline, morale, and elan as the war dragged on.
Was there ever a draft for the Marines?
Yes. Prior to 1942, the Marines were volunteer only, and this was a point of pride for the USMC, in comparison to the Army which has augmented its size with both volunteers and draftees.
What did the Marine Corps do in the Vietnam War?
to ground combat, the Marines Corps provided air support from helicopter squadrons and fixed-wing aircrafts striking targets in South and North Vietnam. In 1967, the Army leadership in Saigon advocated that the Marines concentrate their efforts on large unit search and destroy operations.
When did the Marines start drafting?
On September 16, 1940, the United States instituted the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, which required all men between the ages of 21 and 45 to register for the draft. This was the first peacetime draft in United States’ history.
How long did you have to serve in Vietnam if you were drafted?
The majority of service members 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) before they could be drafted, serve for two years, and have no choice over their military occupational
How long was a tour of duty in Vietnam for draftees Marines?
two years
Conscription legislation limited a draftee’s tour of duty to two years.
What were the chances of being drafted in Vietnam?
Myth: Common belief is that most Vietnam veterans were drafted. Fact: 2/3 of the men who served in Vietnam were volunteers. 2/3 of the men who served in World War II were drafted. Approximately 70% of those killed in Vietnam were volunteers.
When Did Marines go to Vietnam?
8 March 1965
The date was 8 March 1965, and the men, members of Brigadier General Frederick J. Karch’s 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, were the first American ground-combat troops committed to the Vietnam War—one of the Marine Corps’ most costly conflicts and its longest.
Did the Marines draft during WWII?
During the course of the war, more than 10 million men were inducted into the Army, Navy and Marines through the draft. However, most men who served, as well as a lot of women, volunteered for the military. Many men who were too old or disabled often served on the home front, doing vital work on farms and in factories.
What Marine Division was in Vietnam?
Vietnam War. The 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines, 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, were the first Marines to be sent to Vietnam in March 1965 to protect the Da Nang Air Base. On 6 May 1965, the 3rd Marine Division opened the Marine Compound at the Da Nang Air Base, Vietnam.
Who were the last Marines to leave Vietnam?
Juan Valdez. The 84-year-old veteran was the last Marine off the roof of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon, South Vietnam, in 1975.
Was the USMC in Vietnam?
The United States Marine Corps entered Vietnam in 1965 with two battalions and no idea that this war was to become the longest in Corps’ history. Marines and their Allies fought both Viet Cong guerillas and North Vietnamese Army forces in hamlets, urban areas, jungles and rice paddies.
Was there a draft in Vietnam?
Two-thirds of the U.S. military who served in the Vietnam War — and more than half of the names on The Wall — volunteered for duty. The other one-third were drafted, primarily into the Army.
Who was exempt from the Vietnam draft?
1. Be a Conscientious Objector. Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mennonites, the Amish, and Quakers are all considered Peace Churches who are opposed to any kind of military service. They were allowed to serve in other ways, however, but in a civilian capacity.
What birthdays were picked for the Vietnam draft?
On December 1, 1969, the Selective Service System of the United States conducted two lotteries to determine the order of call to military service in the Vietnam War in the year 1970, for men born from January 1, 1944 to December 31, 1950.
How long was a tour of duty in Vietnam War?
All US military personnel serving in Vietnam during the Vietnam War were eligible for one R&R during their tour of duty (13 months for marines, 12 months for soldiers, sailors, airmen).
What number did the Vietnam draft get to?
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 Selective Service.
Did high school students get drafted to Vietnam?
Of those, 1.8 million men were drafted, but not all went to Vietnam.A high school student could defer being drafted until he graduated or reached the age of 20, whichever came first. A college student could defer the draft on a year-to-year basis provided he made satisfactory academic progress.
Where were Marines stationed in Vietnam?
Of the over 800 Marines in Vietnam, the bulk were in South Vietnam’s I Corps Tactical Zone (ICTZ) consisting of the five northern provinces. Sixty Marine advisors were attached to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) units in ICTZ.
Did any American soldiers stay in Vietnam after the war?
It’s estimated that tens of thousands of veterans have returned to Vietnam since the 1990s, mostly for short visits to the places where they once served. Decades after the fall of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) many former soldiers still wonder why they were fighting.
