Reply #11: The Vietnam draft had too many loopholes. And Johnson deliberately did not call up reserves or send [View All]

National Guard units to Vietnam because he knew support for the war would plummet. The only people going to Vietnam were volunteers (there were some) and draftees who did not have any strings to pull to either avoid the draft altogether or get into a reserve or NG unit. College students were deferred until graduation until 1970 when the lottery was instituted. If you couldn't afford college or didn't have the grades, you stood a good chance of being drafted and sent to Vietnam. And remember, 1972 was the first presidential election when 18 year olds could vote. Nixon had convinced enough people by that time that he was achieving "peace with honor" and ended the draft, effectively defeating the anti-war movement.