Mormon church obtained Vietnam draft deferrals for Romney, other missionaries

[Ian David]

Source: The Boston Globe *Web Exclusive)

As the Vietnam War raged in the 1960s, Mitt Romney received a deferment from the draft as a Mormon "minister of religion" for the duration of his missionary work in France, which lasted two and a half years.

Before and after his missionary deferment, Romney also received nearly three years of deferments for his academic studies. When his deferments ended and he became eligible for military service in 1970, he drew a high number in the annual lottery that determined which young men were drafted. His high number ensured he was not drafted into the military.

The deferments for Mormon missionaries became increasingly controversial in the late 1960s, especially in Utah, leading the Mormon Church and the government to limit the number of church missionaries who could put off their military service. That agreement called for each church ward, or church district, to designate one male every six months to be exempted from potential duty for the duration of his missionary work.

<snip>

"I was aware of the fact that there was an agreement of some sort of between the church and the Selective Service because there were some wards mostly in the West where the congregation was large and the number of youth was large," Mayo said. "The circumstances were very different here. Our congregation was small and the number of youth were small. To the best of my knowledge we never had a situation where we had more than two young men wanting to go in any one year... So I don't believe that we ever had to discourage someone from going on a mission because he was above that two-per-year limit."



Mitt Romney caddies for his restless father, George, who would play two balls at each hole so he could squeeze an 18-hole game into half the time. (Provided by The Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)

More:
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/specials/romney/articles/part1_side_2/

Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/specials/romney/articles/part1_side_2/

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The above article is posted by me, personally, and does not reflect the view of any other organization.

[tanyev]

1. There ya go.

He's definitely got what it takes to become an influential Republican politician.

[Old Vet]

2. Yes he does,Son of a bitch...........

I remember a few years in the military good or bad was a honored thing.(Just showing my age)

[fasttense]

3. Just another draft dodger pretending he didn't dodge.

Sounds like he has his lies all lined up. Just what this country needs. Another commander in chief who has absolutely no experience in battle.

[chelsea0011]

4. What makes no sense to me is that he could avoid the draft

for religious reasons in the 60's and 70's but he can now make war if he were President? So he was either a fraud then or is a fraud now. Take your pick.

[Crowman1979]

5. Total hypocracy on Romney's part.

I'd rather have a draft dodging president who doesn't deny his actions and strives for peace, rather than one who hides it and has a bloodlust for war.

[RaleighNCDUer]

6. It's the religion that's the fraud - Mormons don't get religious

exemptions unless they qualify as ministers - and every young man is expected to go do missionary work, which therefore makes every one of them ministers. So they can be rah-rah war, and avoid service on religious grounds at the same time.

[Thor_MN]

12. I don't think this is a mutally exclusive situation - he's always been a fraud

[The Stranger]

7. Sending someone else to go fight and die while he cheerleads the orgy of death.

"Hypocrisie est un hommage que la vice rend à la vertu."

[genie_weenie]

8. His sons learned well! 5 for not fighting!

http://tbogg.blogspot.com/2007/04/five-not-for-fighting-willard-mitt.html

But, one, "feel guilty having not done it", another has "seen a lot and read a lot" and finally, "there are other sacrifices" that he has made...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHUSQwZ6gWo

[roody]

9. Rocky Anderson, mayor of Salt Lake City,

has some interesting comments about Mitt today on Democracy Now.
www.democracynow.org

[David Zephyr]

10. Another ChickenHawk. No wonder he's popular with Republicans.

.

[arewenotdemo]

11. OK, OK, but he has had to live with the regret of not enlisting, people!

That's probably been more tortuous for him than anything McCain dealt with in Viet Nam.

Life ain't easy for the Chickenhawk.