Bill Clinton and the Vietnam War

[erpowers]

I know this subject has been dealt with greatly since Clinton ran for President, but I wanted to bring it up again because I learned what might be some new information. I do not know if this is true, but tonight I read in a book that between 1968-1970 Bill clinton was in college at Oxford and after graduating from Oxford he went to Yale Law School. I had always known that Bill Clinton had spent time overseas during the Vietnam War and that he had gone to Yale Law School; however, I was not aware that he was in college overseas during Vietnam. Also I was not aware of the dates for his time at Yale. If the dates in the book are true Bill Clinton was in college during the Vietnam War. That leads to my question. Why do the Republicans make such a big deal about Bill Clinton not going to Vietnam when he did the same thing that many promanent Republicans like Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, and a host of other Republicans did by going to college during Vietnam. I was never against Clinton for not going to Vietnam, but I had always heard that he was protesting the Vietnam War overseas, not that he was in college overseas. Now that I know he was supposedly in college during that time I do not see why such a bid deal was made about the issue since he was in college and once again he did what a number of Republicans did during that time. In addition, it seems Republican are quick to jump to the defense of their favorite guys and point out that college deferments were legal during the Vietnam War. I do think the answer to my question will be Republican hypocrisy, but I just wanted to ask and see if anyone had any reasons.

[babylonsister]

1. He was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford IIRC. nt

[freesqueeze]

2. Actually, it's even worse.

Clinton avoided Vietnam and worked to end that war.

Bush, Cheney (the whole chicken hawk gang) avoided Vietnam and supported it whole-heartedly.

Military service used to mean something to GOPeople, but as their appeal became more a fat-daddy appeal and the military becomes a refuge for people in need of college money or a job...things change.

[Crabby Appleton]

3. In Feb '68 the government eliminated student deferments for

most graduate students, Bill Clinton was reclassified 1A in Mar '68 by his local board. I recall that time well as I had a medical deferment, was reclassified in the beginning of Mar '68, immediately received my induction notice and two weeks later was sworn in to the Army 15 Mar 68.

[erpowers]

4. What is 1A

I do not understand that term could you please explain. Does that mean he was put into the draft pool?

[mth44sc]

5. each year there was a lottery based on birth date

this was one ya didn't want to win. I know - my year I finished in 8th.

Fortunately for me - after my pre-induction physical - Nixon ended the draft and I was not called. At my pre-induction physical - I saw those who were among the last to be drafted. I think of them often and wonder who among them did not make it home.

[RoyGBiv]

7. Selective Service Classification System

At the time of Vietnam, it went like this:

PWWII period: (1948 thru 1976*)

1-A Available for military service
1-AM Medical specialist available for military service
1-A-O Conscientious objector available for noncombatant
military service
1-A-OM Medical specialist conscientious objector available
for noncombatant military service
1-C Member of the Armed Forces of the United States, the
Coast and Geodetic Survey, or the Public Health Service
(Enl)-enlisted; (Ind)-Inducted; (Dis)-discharged
1-D Member of a Reserve component or student taking military
training
**1-H Registrant not currently subject to processing for
induction or alternate service
1-O Conscientious objector available for civilian work
contributing to the national health, safety, or interest
1-OM Medical specialist conscientious objector available for
civilian work contributing to the national health,
safety, or interest
1-S Student deferred by statute: (H)-high school; (C)-college
1-W Conscientious objector performing civilian work in the
national health, safety, or interest (Rel)-released
***1-Y Registrant qualified for service only in time of war
or national emergency
2-A Registrant deferred because of civilian occupation
(except agriculture)
2-AM Medical specialist deferred because of critical
community need involving patient care
2-C Registrant deferred because of agricultural occupation
2-D Registrant deferred because of study in preparation
for the ministry
2-M Registrant deferred for medical study
2-S Registrant deferred because of activity in study
3-A Registrant with a child or children; or registrant
deferred by reason of extreme hardship to dependents
4-A Registrant who has completed service; or sole surviving son
4-B Official deferred by law
4-C Alien
4-D Minister of religion or divinity student
4-E Conscientious objector opposed to both combatant and
noncombatant training and service
4-F Registrant not qualified for military service
4-FM Medical specialist not qualified for military service
4-G Sole surviving son
4-W Conscientious objector who has completed civilian
alternate service
5-A Registrant over the age of liability for military service

* Roman numerals I, II, III, IV, V were sometimes used.
** With the cessation of registrant processing in 1976, all registrants (except for a few alleged violators of the Military Selective Service Act) were classified 1-H regardless of any previous classification.
*** The 1-Y classification was abolished December 10, 1971. Local boards were subsequently instructed to reclassify all 1-Y registrants by administrative action.

[TahitiNut]

8. Yup. I was drafted and inducted in March '68, too.

Went to Ft. Lost-in-the-Woods (Misery) for basic. Small world - big month. :hi:

[EbenezerMcIntosh]

6. One can be "in college" and still "protest the war."

:eyes:

[ForrestGump]

9. They make a big deal of it because they're

hypocritical chickenhawks.

Though, to be fair, The Clenis was the impetus for escalated US involvement in Vietnam in 1965. Although it's hard to see in the grainy footage, with some degree of patience and digital-video wizardry it's apparent enough that the Gulf of Tonkin Incident was fabricated to cover up the aggressive involvement of The Clenis (LBJ figured that the country was not ready for that particular provocateur); the alleged Vietnamese torpedo boats were waterski boats that just happened to be in the same frames of film as The Clenis.

Little known fact.

And, having failed to learn from the past once again, the United States was (predictably, in retrospect) easy prey for The Clenis as we entered a new decade, the '90s... :scared: