Yup. I was 18 when I entered the Army. I was just turning 19 when I shipped out to Vietnam. I could not buy a beer in any of the enlisted men’s club on Fort Jackson, S.C., nor could I purchase beer off base at a bar or store. Basically I did not drink anyway, but couldn’t buy it if I wanted to. Funny thing was, when I got to Nam and everyone went to the club out on our base, I was allowed to buy beer there, hell we were in combat zones!! I could go to war, shoot and kill people, but I could not buy a beer if I had wanted to.
In 1972 at age 18, I did Army boot camp at Fort Ord, CA. We could buy beer in the enlisted clubs on base. We were told it was “3.2” beer.
Hmm, in 1969 while 18 years old, and while I was attending AIT at Fort Gordon, GA as an E-2 we could get served beer, not hard liquor, in the EM club, just not off base in Augusta.
We did sometimes drive the 20 miles to Aiken, SC where the drinking age was still 18.
I’m a native of South Carolina. When I was eighteen I could buy beer but not hard liquor and I could NOT vote. Now an eighteen year old can vote but CANNOT buy beer.