Hell No We Won't Go! Working on the Draft Board for the Vietnam War

Contributed by Jamie Siburn

                                    Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was the prolonged struggle between nationalist forces attempting to unify the country of Vietnam under a communist government and the United States, with the aid of the South Vietnamese, attempting to prevent the spread of communism.  Engaged in a war that many viewed as having no way to win, U.S. leaders lost the American public's support for the war.  With an insufficient number of volunteers, the Selective Service System enforced the draft.  Through a volunteer and draft enforced military, the United States had forces directly involved on the ground in Vietnam from 1965-1973.
 

But there was protest to the draft.  Although protest to conscription had been a feature of all American wars, draft evasion and draft resistance reached a historic peak during the Vietnam War.  Opposition to the war and draft resistance nearly crippled the Selective Service System.  So how was the U.S. government to secure the necessary troops for war?  It created the local draft board.  With nearly 4,200 national local draft boards, its function was to administer and execute the main provisions of the Selective Draft Law…registering, rejecting, and selecting men of military age for legislative enactment.
 

In the spirit of patriotism, my grandmother took and passed the civil service test.  Much to her surprise (and ultimately her disappointment), she was assigned to a local draft board in her hometown of Springfield, New Jersey.  But her job soon became a conflict of conscience. Feeling a tremendous sense of pride for being employed by her government, she wrestled with the moral challenges of “calling up” men to fight a war which few supported or believed in.   Her job required her to prepare draft notices.  Day after day, she typed notices to men she had known since childhood.  Although the day to day responsibilities of her job challenged her morally…it was the deaths of soldiers she knew that haunted her. 

Interview:

Below is an interview of LouEllen Stoms, who worked on the Draft Board during the Vietnam War.

Pre-Interview Questions

Date and place of the interview - Saturday, February 16, 2013; Summerfield, Florida

o Name of the person being interviewed  - LouEllen Stoms

o Interviewee's birth date – January 11, 1941

o Names of the people attending the interview (including the interviewer and camera operators) LouEllen Stoms and Jamie Siburn

 o Employed?  Who was your employer?  United States Government; Selective Service

System

o Was this a period of war?  If so, which one?  Vietnam War



My grandmother at the time during the Vietnam War.

Personal/Biographical Information

• What is your name? What was your maiden name?  LouEllen Stoms (Martin)
• Age? – 72
• Where were you born and raised?  Springfield, New Jersey
• What was your family background? Educational background?  Middle class; graduated from Monmouth College (now Monmouth University)
• Where did you live during the war? Roselle, New Jersey
• Provide a brief description of your neighborhood or community - Suburban; lived in a garden apartment in a quiet, park-like setting
• At the time of the war, were you in a relationship, married, or single?  Married
• What was your spouse's or partner's name and wartime occupation? Walcott “Wally” Becker, Jr.; officer in the United States Navy
• Did you have children at any time during the war? Yes – 1 daughter

 Employment and the War

• Were you employed outside the home? If so, what is the name of your employer? Yes; worked for the Selective Service System; Local Board #42
• Why did you decide to sit for the Civil Service Exam?  Had a family friend who worked for Selective Service System; was optimistic I would be hired if I passed the exam
• Why did you choose pursuing employment with the government?   I was newly married.  My husband and I needed a second income in order to purchase our first home.  the job offered excellent benefits…my annual salary was $3,185.00 ($65.00 per week)
• How did you react/respond to your first assignment?  My enthusiasm for my new job quickly faded; eliciting mixed emotions.  I was happy to be employed, but conflicted and sad about sending young men (many that I knew personally) to war
• What was your job title? Clerk Typist
• What kind of activities did you perform?  Prepared draft notices; registered men between the ages of 18-25 for Selective Service System.
• Did you have any specialty at work?  On behalf of the Selective Service System, my boss and I were assigned to a local community review board.  The board was comprised of local area businessmen (those considered to be “pillars of society” – bank CEO, large department store owner, doctor, etc.) and its purpose was to provide a venue for draftees to request an exemption from serving.  (Exemptions included, but were not limited to, married with children, medical, and education) The board met weekly and often had in excess of 30 cases to review each week.  Few exemptions were granted 
• What special rules or conventions did you have to follow? The Selective Service System reviewed everyone in accordance with a classification code. Every draft card issue identified the card holder’s classification status. 

Classification	Description
1A	Available for military service
1AOC ***	Conscientious objectors eligible for military service in noncombatant role
!B	Available for limited military service
1F	Physically, mentally or morally unfit
1OCO ***	Conscientious objectors opposed to both combatant and non-combatant military duty and available for assignment to civilian work
IS	High school student under twenty years of age or college student who has received an order to report for induction; deferred to complete his school year
2A	Deployment deferred; men were not sent to war because their civilian job provided protection on United States soil
2B	Deployment deferred; men were not sent to war because their civilian job was necessary   to national defense (Example – work for Bowing and manufacture war planes; work for Hercules and manufacture ammunition)
2C	Deployment deferred; men necessary to farm labor
2S	Deployment deferred for education; only deferred until final class is taken (many men chose to stay in school indefinitely to avoid the draft)
3A	Deferred because of dependents; included registrants with wife & child
4A	Exemption for veterans (those whose military duty obligation was completed) and sole surviving sons
4D	Exemption for ministers & divinity students
5A	Considered “too old” to serve (26 years old if never deferred or 35 years old for those who served or held a deferment)

*** A conscientious objector is one who is opposed to serving in the armed forces and/or bearing arms on the grounds of moral or religious principles.

My grandfather's draft card for the Vietnam War .
He was classified as  4A. 

 General Questions Regarding the War

• How did you feel about the war?  Originally, I was supportive of the war.  I was not alone.  At the beginning of the war, there was no need to impose and/or enforce the draft.  Many men volunteered to serve under the assumption that they were suppressing communism in the spirit of democracy. 
• What was your family or friends' feelings?  Coming from a military family, I was pro-government; therefore, pro-war.  My husband was currently serving in the Navy and my father (and his brothers) had served honorably in World War II.  My friends were mixed in their support.  Many volunteered in the name of patriotism; others were not supportive of the war and reluctant to serve.
• Did you worry that our side might not win? Not in the beginning.  But as the war lingered on with no end in sight and the death toll (over 50,000 young men) continued to rise, it became apparent to me that we might have entered this war in vain.
• Did you have family and friends who served in the war? Yes.  And sadly, I was the one who registered most of them for deployment.
• Did you know anyone who was killed or wounded in the war? Yes.  If killed, the local board was the first to receive news that an area soldier had been killed in action.  Since I had grown up in the area and many of the deployed soldiers were friends and/or acquaintances, I sadly knew lots of soldiers killed in the war.  To further compound my sadness; upon the death of a soldier the local board purged his file.  It was my job to purge the files.  It was a sad, emotional circle….establishing an active file for a young, courageous soldier only to pull it and stamp it “deceased” upon his death.     
• Did you think it was right for America to be at war?  In the beginning, many believed the war was justified in an effort to suppress communism.  But over time, enthusiasm and support for the war waned.  Ultimately, the war took on a negative connotation, inspiring anti-war protests and rallies.  Even sadder…those serving in the war were wrongly blamed and did not garner the respect and admiration they so deeply deserved.What did you think about the enemy?  As a patriotic citizen and employee of the United States Government, I believed any person or group promoting communism should be stopped. Of course, my preference would be non-violent.
• How did you feel about war news from television? First and foremost, there were only a few television stations (and no cable) during this period.  But I did find it interesting that channels did vary on their presentation and disclosure of information depending upon its political views. 
• How did you feel about antiwar protests?  In accordance with the First Amendment, I believe everyone has the right to express their thoughts and opinions.  I am not opposed to protests; however I prefer them to be organized and peaceful. Unfortunately, many of the protests during this period were violent. 
• Did you trust and support American civilian and military leaders?  Yes.  As an employee of the United States Government and a husband in active military service, I trusted and supported American civilian and military leadership.

 Postwar Experiences

• Did you keep your job after the war?  Yes and No.  While I still worked for the United States government, my husband had been transferred.  At the end of the war, I was working on a marine base in Honolulu, Hawaii.  Although the job title remained the same, I was no longer sending young men into battle.  Instead I was welcoming them home.  Unfortunately many returned home injured or in caskets.   
• Have you visited any memorials or participated in any commemorations of the war?  Yes, I have visited the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC.  Sadly, I know many names memorialized at the site. 

Closing Questions
Is there anything you wanted to talk about that we didn't get to?  It is important for today’s youth to know that in the beginning of the war there was a feverish camaraderie …a “pro-America” spirit to suppress communism.  Although the war did not end as many hoped, igniting violent protests and anti-war sentiment, we must never forget the brave men who served, sacrificing their lives on behalf of our nation and those yearning for democracy.  

For more information on the Vietnam War and the Draft, see:

Goldenberg, Susan. "Appeal for Draft Board Volunteers Revives Memories of Vietnam Era."

The Guardian. N.p., 4 Nov. 2003. Web. 11 Feb. 2013. <http://www.guardian.co.uk>.

"How the Draft has Changed Since Vietnam." Selective Service System. United States Government,

30 Apr. 2002. Web. 11 Feb. 2013. <http://www.sss.gov>.

Kindig, Jessie. "Vietnam - Draft Resistence." Antiwar and Radical History Project. N.p., 2008. Web.

11 Feb. 2013. <http://www.dept.washington.edu>.

Rosenberg, Jennifer. "Vietnam War." About.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2013.

<http://www.history1900sabout.com>.

"Vietnam War." History.com. A & E Network Digital, n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2013.

<http://www.history.com>.