Posted on 11/26/2014 12:09:10 PM PST by re_tail20
Chief Warrant Officer 5 Ralph E. Rigby just became the last Vitenam War draftee to leave the Army. He retired after 42 years spent there.
Rigby always had a love for vehicles and had just started his own mechanic shop when he received a draft notice during the Vietnam War.
His first, joking response to the message was: “I don’t have to put up with this! I can just move to Canada like everyone else, and avoid all of this.”
His mother, though, had this message for him: “No Way! You are not a quitter. We do not quit in this family.”
Rigby was assigned to Fort Dix in New Jersey for basic training. He then went on to attend the United States Army Engineer School at Fort Belvoir, Virginia as a power generation repairman.
He was drafted during the Vietnam era, but he did not end up deploying there. Instead, he was sent to Kwachon, South Korea.
(Excerpt) Read more at westernjournalism.com ...
I was all set to go to college, become a lawyer or sumthin’.
But NooooOOooo.. A Marine recruiter, a A&W cheeseburger basket and a root beer float,, promise of bonuses to be a grunt.. Just my luck, I failed the aptitude tests and passed. No bonus, but a lot of schooling. Aw , the foibles of youth, how quickly we fall prey to taking the adventurous route.
This is great story and his mother was right in that she didn't raise any quitters.
While I enlisted in the USMC in 67, I met several people who were drafted into the Army but then (because of “needs of the Corps”) were put in the USMC. LOL!
I got my Army draft notice in 1965. Decided to go ahead and sign up for the Navy.
“I joined the Army in 1966. At the recruitment center they took a number of draftees and put them in the marines.”
I was standing in line at the Navy enlistment center in Nashville, Tn. in 68’ when a Marine Gunnery Sergeant came in and said “you, you, you and you, are now United States Marines”. He picked every other man in the line. Boy, were they surprised!
When I first got to Ft. Hood in the early 70s I somehow got tasked to clean our squad's M60 MG.
Wanting to make a good impression as a boot, I cleaned the hell out of it, including sandpapering all the bluing off the barrel. : (
The E-4 armorer, a short draftee just back from Vietnam looked at it and said "Damn, boy! What the hell did you do"?
After a minute, he said "Don't sweat it, I'll find a new one and tell 'em this one was shot out".
Cool dude.
My classmates and I were among the first that had to “register” for a “national emergency” back in 1979. According to the PSA on the radio guys still do, but I have no idea what percentage actually do.
Turns out I am way too colorblind for military service.
‘69..out of about 200, there were 8 of us with a Blue 8 x 11 sheet of paper on our induction folder.
The 8 were summarily marched into a different room and a Marine 2nd Lt. was about to give us the oath of office.
One of the guys says “I know my rights, I’m enlisting in the army” and left the room.
Friend of mine I grew up with, stuck his head in the door and said “hey” to me. The 2nd Lt. went into a drill instructor voice and grabbed him and told him to stand right there....
We both were drafted in the U.S.M.C. - went through boot\ITR\schools and sent to Stumps, then went to Nam together.
He was assigned to the MPs and I was assigned to an “in the rear with the gear” security platoon.
On the plane ride to boot camp MCRD, I told the guy next to me about being drafted and he recounted that he enlisted because the “judge said....”
I wonder if he volunteered for the draft. I was 19 in 1973 and nobody in my high school class came close to getting drafted. One of my high school classmate pulled the number 5 in the lottery and he was not drafted. Things were a lot different in 1973 versus 1967 etc.
In Stockton, CAL 1955 there were about 40 of us draftees. The first two ranks went Navy, the rest of us Army. I have no idea how many guys (draftees) went for the re-up talks at the end of the two years.
My birthday was number one in the draft. I read that when I was in Vietnam.
Interesting that the article says he’s moving to Fayetteville, NC. I don’t
know where he’s from but he’s staying close to the military. Fayetteville is
the location of Fort Bragg home to the Army Airborne and Special Operations with
approximately 57,000 military personnel, 11,000 civilian employees and 23,000 family
members and is one of the largest military complexes in the world.
By that time the services had only two priorities, separating thousands out and desperately trying to find room for those who wanted to stay in. The guards and reserves could only take so many.
I went to junior college. When I finished in 1968, I had no money for college. I also had an uneasy feeling that I wasn’t fulfilling my duty to my country.
I volunteered for the USAF a year later. They told me to go home and they would call me. At least 2 months went by and they call me in for testing. Two more months later, they said they would train for jet electronics. More waiting and told me to the Army for a physical.
This was when many people were faking limps, deafness, crazy, etc.
I was doing well until they told me to go to the doctors room where most of the crazies were sitting.
The doctor asked me how long have you had a heart murmur. “From birth but it’s no probllem. I lettered for track 6 years in 600, mile, cross-country, “ I said.
“Doesn’t matter. You’re 1Y. Thank you,” he said.
I appealed. Went to the Naval Hospital. AF and Navy doctors. They examined me and then left for 30 minutes.”
They said it’s bad news. I told them that in the interim I decided if I was turned down again, I was going to California and meet girls. What do you think is bad news?
They laughed and said I’m 4F - no appeals. Thank you for volunteering. Go have fun.
The Marines drafted far fewer: The bulk of conscripts went to the Army.
Of course, the majority of them have always gone to the Army instead of the Marines, that was true in WWII and Korea and Vietnam.
BAS. A very nice place.
320th ASA became the 18 USASA Field Station Bad Aibling. There from Nov 65 to Nov 68. Beautiful place and it beat the hell out of Viet Nam. Lived off post in a little village called Tuntenhausen.
..-. - .-
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.