Read this before you watch the videos of the unit.
The Vietnam War in a few dates
| When? | What happened? |
|---|---|
| 1955–1975 | War in Vietnam between communist North Vietnam and South Vietnam, supported by the United States. |
| 1965 | The USA sends combat troops. In total, about 2.7 million Americans served in Vietnam, and about 58,000 died. |
| 1960s | The war becomes very unpopular: huge protests, especially among students. |
| 1969 | The first draft lottery since the Second World War. |
| 1973 | The USA ends the draft and leaves Vietnam. Since then, the army has only used volunteers. |
| 1977 | President Carter pardons the men who had avoided the draft. |
How did the draft work?
At 18, every young American man had to register for the draft. If he was called, he received a
draft notice, then went to an army medical examination, the physical: he was declared fit or
unfit to serve. A deferment allowed some men to serve later, for example students or men with a medical
problem. Many people thought that this system was unfair: rich students got deferments, poor young men went to war.
Saying no
Some young men refused. A draft resister openly refused and risked prison. A draft dodger
avoided the draft, sometimes by leaving for Canada (tens of thousands did). A conscientious objector refused
to fight because of his moral or religious beliefs.
In this unit, you will meet five people who faced the draft: a famous writer, a boxing champion, an actor, a rock star and a future president. What did each of them do?
Choose the right word, then click Check and read the explanations.
- When an American man was called by the army, he received a .a draft notice = the letter that calls you for military service.
- At the , doctors decided if a young man was fit to serve.the physical = the army medical examination.
- A student could get a : he could serve later.a deferment = permission to do your military service later.
- A refuses to fight because of his beliefs.He refuses openly, for moral or religious reasons.
- Some young men left for to avoid the draft.Tens of thousands of Americans went to Canada.
- In 1969, a decided the order in which young men would be called.Birthdays were drawn one by one, live on TV.
- Since 1973, the American army has only used .a volunteer chooses to join the army.
- A is someone who has served in the army, especially in a war.a veteran (a vet) = un ancien combattant.