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In the United States, military conscription, or the draft, had been in place virtually without interruption since the end of World War II, but volunteers generally predominated in combat units. When the first U.S. combat troops arrived in Vietnam in 1965 they were composed mainly of volunteers.

The Air Force, Navy, and Marines were volunteer units. The escalating war, however, required more draftees. In 1965 about 20,000 men per month were inducted into the military, most into the Army; by 1968 about 40,000 young men were drafted each month to meet increased troop levels ordered for Vietnam.

The conscript army was largely composed of teenagers; the average age of a U.S. soldier in Vietnam was 19, younger than in World War II (ave. age WWII - 26) or the Korean War. For the first time in U.S. military history, tours of duty were fixed in length, usually for a period of 12 or 13 months, and an individual’s date of estimated return from overseas (DEROS) was therefore set at the same time as the assignment date.

In the United States, military conscription, or the draft, had been in place virtually without interruption since the end of World War II,

I noticed that, too. I don't know what Hannity has in mind when he says, "Except, that many many years before the draft, Dick Cheney had also - attended Community College. . ."

I remember that they drafted Elvis in the 1950's. ;-)

Yes, the draft was technically in effect during all of the 1950's and 1960's.

Look, I can understand that in 1967-70 anyone who
a. entered college
b. got married
-or-
c. got a girl pregnant

is a "suspected draft dodger."
I can even imagine some hardcore
right-winger coming out and making the accusation.

But the fact is Dick and Lynn Cheney were doing all this in the earl and mid 1960's. I was born in 1966 so was everyone who started kindergarten in 1972. Were all our parents draft dodgers?

Troop deployments to Vietnam began in 1965.
At which time Dick Cheney was ALREADY a 25-year-old married, and an expectant father who had been accepted to graduate school.

(Married one deferment, grad school one deferment, expectant father one deferment). Because Dick Cheney had attended Community College before University (both in the the early 1960's years and years before kids were being drafted for Vietnam) Kerry counts that as two more deferments for a total of five.

Basically Kerry has made a pretty ridiculous accusation for the media to let it go unchallenged.