Almost every man in my unit in Vietnam (i served in the unit from 1970 to may 1971) had specifically enlisted in the Army Security Agency for 4 years to avoid being drafted for 2 years, put into the Marine Corps as cannon fodder. Better 4 years in the ASA than drafted into the Marines and returning from Vietnam in a coffin or a body bag. Due to security requirements, we were called "Radio Research" in Vietnam. We monitored North Vietnamese radio communications. Almost every enlisted man in my specific unit (the 407th Radio Research Detachment, in direct support of the 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division [Mechanized] in Quang Tri Province) had a minimum of an Associate's Degree from a college (some had graduate degrees) but they were in areas like Math, Sociology, English, etc. so they were not draft deferrable. After the war, some went on to work for the NSA and others became college professors. Our head cryptanalyst (code breaker) went on to be head of the Math Department at the University of Minnesota.
I put 13 months in RVN, '66-'67, we never should have been there, neither should the French, we never had enough troops, it was a fools errand, that the politicians sent us on.
@@boondocker7964 I know that it's none of business but I'll ask anyway. Did you enlist or were you drafted? Edit: enlisted. I thought the draft started before 1969.
@@AA-gj3kt I enlisted in '65, did just under 4 years, got out in '69, in '66 we had draftees in the USMC (in RVN), they were every bit as good as any one who enlisted.
@@boondocker7964 I was still a kid when you served. My dad enlisted in 1950 and was a Korean War veteran. I clearly remember watching the evening news with him when Walter Cronkite declared the war lost on national television. I seen the rage in his eyes as he took off and threw both of his shoes at the television screen trying to break it. I turned 18 the year we abandoned Vietnam. I kicked around for a couple of years before enlisting. I went to the 82nd ABN as an 11B. I witnessed a demoralized army where drug use ran rampant. It was a crazy time until drug testing started under Reagan. I went from the 82nd to serving in special operations. On my 1st enlistment I had an old school first sergeant that preached that if you didn't have at one article 15 you weren't worth a shit as a soldier. Well I took him at his word and damn if it didn't bite me in ass hard at the end. I was riffed out back in 94 when the Clinton's gutted the military. Four years short of my 20. I witnessed the threat of communism in south and central America. I secretly weep for our country and what is happening now. I think about the domino theory and how it was ridiculed at the time of Vietnam. Not so crazy after all?
@@AA-gj3kt Not sure about the "Domino Theory", back in the day, all I know is that for that particular country, the French "colonized" and treated the people like less than humans, and then the USA came and backed up the French, and backed up the corrupt buggers in Saigon, now in regards to Central and South America, there is corruption, drug cartels, marxists in various countries, and "We", have marxists in our own government currently destroying the country. A secure border and deportation of illegal entrants to our USA, will go a long way to straightening out things, say, why would you jump out of a perfectly good airplane, if I might ask? Powers that be, jammed it up your butt, what did you do ( for work) after they put you out in the "cold"?
Almost every man in my unit in Vietnam (i served in the unit from 1970 to may 1971) had specifically enlisted in the Army Security Agency for 4 years to avoid being drafted for 2 years, put into the Marine Corps as cannon fodder.
Better 4 years in the ASA than drafted into the Marines and returning from Vietnam in a coffin or a body bag.
Due to security requirements, we were called "Radio Research" in Vietnam. We monitored North Vietnamese radio communications. Almost every enlisted man in my specific unit (the 407th Radio Research Detachment, in direct support of the 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division [Mechanized] in Quang Tri Province) had a minimum of an Associate's Degree from a college (some had graduate degrees) but they were in areas like Math, Sociology, English, etc. so they were not draft deferrable.
After the war, some went on to work for the NSA and others became college professors. Our head cryptanalyst (code breaker) went on to be head of the Math Department at the University of Minnesota.
We won that war and it was a war. Not a conflict.
Political and dumb people caused it to be lost
And sadly now we are finding out why success in Vietnam was so crucial.
I put 13 months in RVN, '66-'67, we never should have been there, neither should the French, we never had enough troops, it was a fools errand, that the politicians sent us on.
@@boondocker7964 I know that it's none of business but I'll ask anyway. Did you enlist or were you drafted?
Edit: enlisted. I thought the draft started before 1969.
@@AA-gj3kt I enlisted in '65, did just under 4 years, got out in '69, in '66 we had draftees in the USMC (in RVN), they were every bit as good as any one who enlisted.
@@boondocker7964 I was still a kid when you served.
My dad enlisted in 1950 and was a Korean War veteran. I clearly remember watching the evening news with him when Walter Cronkite declared the war lost on national television. I seen the rage in his eyes as he took off and threw both of his shoes at the television screen trying to break it.
I turned 18 the year we abandoned Vietnam. I kicked around for a couple of years before enlisting. I went to the 82nd ABN as an 11B. I witnessed a demoralized army where drug use ran rampant. It was a crazy time until drug testing started under Reagan.
I went from the 82nd to serving in special operations. On my 1st enlistment I had an old school first sergeant that preached that if you didn't have at one article 15 you weren't worth a shit as a soldier. Well I took him at his word and damn if it didn't bite me in ass hard at the end. I was riffed out back in 94 when the Clinton's gutted the military. Four years short of my 20.
I witnessed the threat of communism in south and central America. I secretly weep for our country and what is happening now. I think about the domino theory and how it was ridiculed at the time of Vietnam. Not so crazy after all?
@@AA-gj3kt Not sure about the "Domino Theory", back in the day, all I know is that for that particular country, the French "colonized" and treated the people like less than humans, and then the USA came and backed up the French, and backed up the corrupt buggers in Saigon, now in regards to Central and South America, there is corruption, drug cartels, marxists in various countries, and "We", have marxists in our own government currently destroying the country. A secure border and deportation of illegal entrants to our USA, will go a long way to straightening out things, say, why would you jump out of a perfectly good airplane, if I might ask? Powers that be, jammed it up your butt, what did you do ( for work) after they put you out in the "cold"?
THAT INFO WAS INCOMPLEYE!!!
YOU NEVER ANSWERED THE QUESTION: "WHY ARE WE FIGHTING A WAR IN VIETNAM???
That wasn't the question. The question was "Draftees or a Volunteer Army? Answer: From 1973 to present, a volunteer Army.