Drafted Quote by James T. Patterson
““Roughly 80 percent of American soldiers in Vietnam were from poor or working-class backgrounds. Neither in college nor in graduate school—where most students received near-automatic deferments until mid-1968—they often found themselves drafted after they got out of high school.””
About This Quote
Source Book: "The Vietnam War: A History", 1995
Vietnam drafts drew heavily from lower‑income men, highlighting socioeconomic disparity in military service.
In simple terms: War draft favored the poor.
Key Takeaway
Address class inequities in service.
Themes
war
class
draft
history
inequality
Mood
somber
critical
Type
historical
analytical
When to use this quote
- college deferments
- military recruitment
- public opinion
- veteran support
Key Concepts
military policy
social stratification
economic mobility
Questions to Reflect On
- What are the long‑term impacts on veterans?
- How can policy be more equitable?
A Different Perspective
Draft exemptions created a privileged class.
![“In all, the future secretary of defense and wartime vice president[, Dick Cheney,] would receive five deferments during the Vietnam War, protecting him from service during his draft-eligible years.” quote by Charlie Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fce/charlie-savage-69281_chicken-hawks_in-all-the-future-secretary-of-defense-a_9974.jpg)
