Two startling facts keep coming back to me. The first is that every president from the election of Dwight Eisehower in 1952 to the end of George H.W. Bush’s term in 1992 drew on their experience as a World War II veteran in their election campaign. And the second is that no Vietnam War veteran has been president, and it’s now unlikely one ever will be.
There was conscription for both the Second World War and the Vietnam War, from 1940-73. All men between the age of 17 and 45 were liable to be obliged to serve in the military. In the Vietnam war more than 8.7 million Americans were conscripted. Every man could expect to serve, unless exempt through work in a war-related occupation, disability or education.
There have been two presidents who actively avoided the Vietnam draft and three major party candidates who were veterans, but lost. Two of them – John Kerry and John McCain – came to prominence as veterans. (Ronald Reagan served in the First Motion Picture Unit during WWII, but didn’t see active service).
