Once the lottery was in place, you could be one day past 19, or one day short of 21. I turned 21 in AIT. Since I was only responding to a mention of the draft, I did not say where I was sent. While in AIT an executive order came out prohibiting the sending of any more draftees to VN. I went to Korea.
I grew up dirt poor, was putting food on the table by picking up pop bottles while in grade school, and worked full time during high school. The law limited the number hours one could be employed in high school, but in addition to my job in a grocery store I cut lawns and did what odd jobs I could find.
I was an angry old man by the time I was drafted. I brawled for a hobby. Any time, any place.
1972 was the first time 18 year olds could vote in a national election. The army was not prepared to enable that. The local election office wanted a mailing address for an absentee ballot, and I had no idea where I was going to be if inducted. The army was unwilling to let me return home to vote.
Inductees were placed into one of 5 categories depending on ASVAB score. Go home, do anything you were told to do without question, future leaders, the constant questioners, and those egg heads that would develop something like the Covid vaccines without any thought to consequences.
I fell at the top of the of the constant questioners and just below egg head status. My first couple of weeks in basic saw me sent to the shrinks a couple of times. I received a good conduct medal upon discharge, but I was pitched out of every unit I was assigned to.
For doing things like this, every time a request for bodies came in, I was offered up. There was a major inspection coming up at the battery I was at. I was guarding a Nike Hercules site secure location. When the inspector showed up at my post, my mustache was cut down like Hitler's, my forelock was combed down onto my forehead, and I was goose stepping around the guard shack. When asked what my job was, I goose stepped over to the oil burner space heater, patted it and responded that I was in charge of the showers.
Everywhere I was sent, I asked first to be sent to Camp Howard as they had the best mess hall, and if that was refused I asked to be given the worst job that nobody else wanted. I usually got the worst job, but eventually I ended up at Howard. If you are doing the worst job, everybody leaves you alone.
In Korea, and you can look this up on the net, the Korean Government and the US military began a joint prostitution program. The Koreans promoted prostitution as a way to better the economy.
The prostitutes were allowed into the EM clubs. At the battery, the medic checked the VD cards and condoms were available. More so than good food, warm clothes, and heat. This was during the oil embargo, and we were allowed oil for the space heaters one hour each morning and night.
At Howard, the prostitutes came in a back gate a short distance from the EM club. Upon arrival at the guard shack, I checked their ID and VD card, issued a pass numbered to the storage slot for their paperwork, and sent them into the club. Upon selection by a GI, the prostitute and GI would return to the shack for her paperwork. At this point I would show the GI that she had tested clean that week, hand her back her paperwork, give a short safe sex lecture, and give the GI 3 condoms. I let them pick their condoms out of a large container. The rocket ships were the most popular.
I really enjoyed the mess hall at Howard. I had been stealing cans of dog food from the guard dog supply and mixing it with ramen and eggs from the village. I was 6' 2" when drafted, 121 pounds and had a metabolism like a humming bird. At night I would heat it on the oil space heater.
And no, we did not get our jobs and benefits back as promised. I was given a different job, and refused health care for 90 days. To add insult to injury, when I turned 65 I applied for VA health care and was means tested out of it. Thank you Billy Clinton. It took three years, but eventually they had to give it to me as I was injured in Korea.
Last edited by eclectic; 07/02/23.
