President Gerald Ford announces amnesty for draft evaders
at the White House, Washington, D.C. 1974
Posted on 03/29/2007 3:05:36 PM PDT by Rodney King
One of 10 draftees still in Army retires by By The Associated Press Print Story Email Story FORT BLISS, Texas -- Robert Rangel was a college student trying to "fly below the radar" when his draft number came up in 1967.
"I got caught," he said with a wide smile.
Caught, as it turns out, for 40 years.
Chief Warrant Officer Rangel was one of just 10 draftees still in the Army when he retired Wednesday, according to Fort Bliss officials. It was unclear whether the other draftees have served as long as Rangel; the draft ended in 1973.
Rangel, of El Paso, said the prospect of being drafted was terrifying after watching numerous friends "coming home in coffins."
But he opted to stay well beyond the required two-year hitch because "I started enjoying my job and the people I worked with."
He's been deployed to nine combat zones, from Vietnam to the Persian Gulf. Maj. Gen. Robert Lennox, the Fort Bliss commanding general, described Rangel as the "foremost expert" on air defense systems at the West Texas post, the current home of the Air Defense Artillery Center.
Michael Zaborowski, a retired lieutenant colonel who has known Rangel for more than a decade, said he has long been impressed by his dedication. "I did 20 years and I thought that was a lot," he said.
Rangel retired a few months before his 62nd birthday, when he would have been forced to do so under Army regulations.
His mother, who attended his retirement ceremony, was relieved the day had finally come. "That was a long time that I worried," Adelina Rangel said softly.
Rangel's years in the Army included more than 200 parachute jumps with a special forces unit in Vietnam and Cambodia, time in battle zones, a firsthand view of the crumbling of the Berlin Wall and a tour in the first Gulf War.
Now his priority is to take care of his mom and tackle some projects.
Tops on the list is restoring a 1964 Plymouth Sport Fury. He parked it in his mom's barn when he went off to basic training.
"You could have volunteered for the draft, right?"
---
You don't "volunteer for the draft".
You just volunteer.
I served with guys who volunteered for the draft. They had a "US" serial number and served two years like the rest of the draftees.
"You could have volunteered for the draft, right?"
I don't think you know how funny that statement is,,brought a smile to my face.
Exceptions like OCS (Army OCS,at least).In '69 while in BCT they tried to convince me to apply to OCS.My reply was "Go f**k yourself.....Sir".
I had just finished high school when I joined and had never set foot in a college.Of course things may have changed since then.
You need to read all the post before you reply. When I was in the Army there were only 4 grades of Warrent. I have been notified from several sources that there is now a W0-5. I have already acknowledged this and appologized. It helps to keep up with regs and new ranks, which I haven't done. Thanks anyway.
I stand corrected,,never heard of it,,could they pick their MOS or were they assigned one??
They "volunteered" for the draft????
How did they do that????
Did they travel back in time and change their birthdates
to correspond to a lower numbered ping-pong ball????
NO.
They just "volunteered".
They DID NOT "volunteer for the draft".
You obviously didn't serve back then, but yes it is oxymoronic. (don't think that's a word)
If you enlisted it was a minimum of three years AD. By volunteering for the draft (starting with your local draft board) you served two.
he was a mean drunk!
Not a smile but a snicker. I think the guy is arguing semantics.
The ping pong ball were used only during the lottery years. (69-71 I believe.)
THAT WOULD BE ME !
Ha! Good thing you included the "Sir"! When I was in the USAF in the 90's, they were RIFing officers right and left, so the requirements were a little more strict.
You know, I had just asked my wife about the rank structure of the Australian Defence Forces when I saw your post . . . . .
Lets cut this out and have a beer.
Ok, thank you
If you only agreed to the two years you took what they gave you based on your test scores. CWO Rangel could just have easily volunteered for the draft and once he saw the opportunities and his apptitude test scores he then could opt for a longer school and a better MOS. If I were able to talk to him I know exactly how he did what he did. At the time you needed a GT score of 120 to go to flight school and 115 for OCS.
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