Southeast Wyoming | PTO - 11/14/2015 18:00
Could someone elaborate a little more? What qualified someone for the ag deferment?
My dad qualified until he was about 24 and I can't recall or he never said what caused him to be ineligible. So his number came up and he went to St Louis and they put him on a plane to San Diego. "Congratulations son, you're going to be a marine." Sounded like he had a somewhat rough go of it as he was very out of shape compared to most of the other guys that were fresh out of school. War ended a week before his training was complete. 1969 I think.
tia
It may be a good idea to do a little research into when "the war ended".
The ag deferment was for those who were serious about ag and farming, not for those looking to dodge the draft.
I graduated from college in 1968 with a BS in crop science. I had one brother in the National Guard, married with children and a job far from home. And one brother sailing between the west coast, Vietnam and points in between supplying troops and the war machine with fuel, ammo and other supplies, hauling spent casing back. I also had two younger sisters in high school and Jr high at home.
I had came home from college almost every weekend to help Dad with the struggling farm.
I applied for and received an ag deferment. I applied again a year later and then again the third year at the age of 24.
Not long after receiving that third ag deferment my younger brother came home and off of active duty in the Navy. With him there to help with the farm I enlisted in the Marine Corps. That was in early November, 1970. The war was still going hot and heavy.
Yes, 24 years old made me "the old man" at boot camp. I was in very good shape going in. They broke us all down physically, wanting us all to build from that point. It was hard, I never felt I regained the strength that farm work had given me, but I got to where I could keep up, ranking third in our platoon at our final pt test.
I hope this helps you to understand what some experienced. If your father went in in 1969 he probably saw action. I did not as they stopped the major deployment of Marines to Veitnam a week before I got out of boot camp. |
Ag deferment from veteran post below.
