21. Myth: The war in Vietnam was fought predominantly by draftees
A long-standing myth about the war in Vietnam is that it was fought predominantly by reluctant draftees who opposed both the war and the fact that their lives could be disrupted by forced military service. Supporters of American involvement often cite the fact that a greater percentage of the armed forces during World War II were draftees than during Vietnam. This is true, but ignores the fact that in 1942 voluntary enlistments were suspended, so that the military could draft men into the branches of the armed forces based on the prevailing needs of the services rather than individual preferences. During Vietnam, men were drafted into the Army, and could avoid army service by volunteering for the Navy or Air Force, thus staying out of combat zones.
