DRAFT DODGERS
When America eventually entered Vietnam War in 1965, nobody could ever know that it would be the longest war in American history and would turn into a legend. The long lasting war merged with a new culture-counterculture movement- and America's lack of ideology in the war led to series of protests including burning of draft cards, riots at induction centers, antiwar marches or pouring blood over draft board files.
The draft was being made according to Selective Service Act of 1952 and selection took place at three levels, that of the individual (his health, mental ability and socioeconomic status), of the community (where local draft boards set their criteria) and of the government. So the act was quite open to abuse as "this act shifted burden of Vietnam service to the poor, uneducated, politically impotents and minorities." And the rich and the educated knew the loopholes to avoid draft. As " one Los Angeles Attorney put it 'any kid with money can absolutely stay out of the army and avoid draft."
Besides these avoiders, most participated protests, entered antiwar organizations, some risked arrest and prison by confronting the government directly and some ran away from country to Canada, England, Sweden and elsewhere. Although there were 600.000 apparent draft offenders, it didn't challenged the draft because of the new coming Baby Boom generation.
But besides these, what made draft resistance a legend was the oral stories of these avoiders; Draft Dodgers ."Draft Dodgers and malingerer as hero would seem to be a sharp break with American traditions glorifying the fighting man". But they thought they were " morally correct" because they were unwilling to sacrifice their education, career and even their life for a war that has no ideological, moral and religious roots among Americans.
There are a lot of stories about draft dodgers. Most tried to show themselves as mentally ill or being homosexuals. There were also a lot of tricks such as drinking a bottle of Soya sauce to raise blood pressure or eating glass to have urinate blood or to eat overdose sugar to have high blood sugar. The story is mostly starts with "there is another story about someone who beat the draft". So it was a war against draft not against Vietnamese. One of the shocking stories:
"This guy shoved crunchy peanut butter up his ass before going to his physical test. When the time came to have asses examined, he pulled his pants down and just as the captain was approaching in back and got some peanut butter from his ass end ate it. It grossed the captain out so badly he just let him out..."
