A Brief History
On January 21, 1977, newly inaugurated President Jimmy Carter created perhaps the biggest controversy of his presidency by pardoning Viet Nam War era draft dodgers.
Digging Deeper
Digging deeper, we find the United States in the 1960s and 1970s severely divided over support for the war in Viet Nam.
With Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Senator Eugene McCarthy and other prominent Americans vociferously opposed to the war, large portions of the population sided with them. The anti-war feeling went beyond just the political aspects and dove into the moral aspects for each individual soldier as well. The youth counter-culture and the peace-niks that gave us the “Summer of Love” in 1967 made refusal to serve in the military mandatory to meet their moral standards.
Folk singers, civil rights activists and many others urged young men not to cooperate with the government and to refuse to serve. This sort of urging is illegal, but through the use of euphemisms and thinly disguised messages, the “burn your draft card” directive got out.
Meanwhile, many Americans who were traditional or conservative saw the hand of communism behind the anti-war/anti-draft movement (correctly so, to some extent) and viewed draft evaders and those who encouraged or aided them as traitors.
Some draft dodgers fled to Canada or other countries, while some went to jail, and others managed to stay in the U.S. in hiding. Feelings on both sides were extreme! People alive at the time remember chants of “Hell no we won’t go” and the ubiquitous “make love not war” graffiti.
When Jimmy Carter took office he kept his promise to pardon the draft dodgers, but the form of the pardon was such that each draft dodger had to individually apply for his pardon. Now, not only did the conservative Americans bitterly denounce Carter’s action, but so did those in favor of the pardons! The peace-nik crowd felt the pardon should be a automatic, blanket type of pardon and that by having to apply, each draft dodger was confessing to a crime.
Proving the old adage that “you can’t make everybody happy,” President Carter managed to really make nobody happy and this reality may have contributed to his defeat in 1980.
The bizarre part of this history, is that by 1992, America elected to the presidency Bill Clinton who had managed to avoid the a draft dodger legally, and then Newt Gingrich, who had likewise used the same legal but immoral ruse to avoid the draft, was selected Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Following President Clinton, George W. Bush who had purportedly fraudulently joined the Air National Guard to avoid the draft and Dick Cheney who avoided the draft by medical deferments were elected to the White House!
Also, the current feeling in the United States is one of appreciation for the military men and women with none of the stigma and labels of “baby killer” suffered by Viet Nam veterans. Even those same veterans are treated much differently today than they were in the 1960s and 1970s and have taken their place of honor with all American war veterans.
Question for students (and subscribers): Was President Carter right to pardon Vietnam War era draft dodgers? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.
If you liked this article and would like to receive notification of new articles, please feel welcome to subscribe to History and Headlines by liking us on Facebook and becoming one of our patrons!
Your readership is much appreciated!
Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Stone, Marvin L., ed. U.S. News & World Report, January 1977.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="1049 http://www.crackedhistory.com/?p=1049">90 Comments
One of my uncles fled to Canada to avoid being sent to Vietnam.
I remember reading in a book about how Jim Morrison, the lead singer of The Doors, took an assortment of drugs to raise his blood pressure and claimed he had homosexual thoughts just so he wouldn’t pass the physical and mental screening when he was drafted. I think that if the application process to be pardon wasn’t set up to be so difficult less controversy would of occurred. I understand that soldiers were needed to fight in the Vietnam War but if someone goes against their will then they might not serve much of a purpose anyway. It seemed that more effort was spent on punishing those who didn’t want to enlist rather then ending the war itself.
My father in law proudly served in Vietnam even though I found this war not to accomplish vey much. Communism is still a threat in Vietnam and the leaders in North Vietnam are still a threat to us as a society. I do feel that you are called to serve, you should. Dodging the draft can show a bit of cowardice and as proud Americans, we need to defend our honor and dignity. The reason why America is the free country it is today is because we have many brave men and women who put their lives on the line for us every single day. I am proud to be an American and would not want to live any where else.
I did not know much about Jimmy Carter when he was president and deffinately did not know that he pardoned draft dodgers. I knew that back in that time of era many people did do alot of things to get out of serving in the military.
Both of my grandfathers fought in Vietnam, and neither of them ever questioned they were there. They just did their jobs.
My Grandfather fought in the Korean war and was going to re-enlist to fight in the Vietnam war but my Grandma convinced him otherwise because they were going to have a baby. I had to interview my Grandparents about life in the 1960’s for a different history class that I took and it was very eye opening in regards to the anti-war movement. We didn’t talk much about Jimmy Carter. I wish I had gotten their opinions on Carter pardoning draft dodgers. I’ll have to ask them about the pardons next time I see them!
I had family members that served in the war. I found that they where proud to have served our country but had conflicting feeling about it. But they also had a few choice words for those who had fled their obligations to serve. I think that Carter was trying to put the past in the past so we could move forward.
My grandfather served in the navy in the Vietnam war. He joined willingly and never questioned his duty. The military is a calling and one of honor. I can’t imagine being forced into it… I can’t imagine one of my loved ones being forced into it, so I can see how some would try to dodge the draft. It doesn’t make it right but I can understand.
I don’t have any personal family members that serve or served in any war. Truly I’m against war, hated everything about it, but I wouldn’t run if I got pulled to go.
I also don’t have any close family members that have fought in a war. My grandpa, for religious reasons, worked in a hospital during the 1960s as an alternative to fighting. I do believe that if your country calls you to serve you should do so in some way. I am grateful for those who have served our country.
I don’t have any family members that have served in a war. Alot of my family is against war. I do have a cousin that recently joined the army and is in basic training right now. Personally, I don’t like war or the thought of so many people dying. But I also know that without those who fought for our freedom, our country would not be what it is today. I am extremely grateful to everyone who has ever fought for our country.
This article is great!
While I don’t agree with the idea of pardoning those that dodged the draft. In the case of what President Carter did, I think it was the best decision to put the country’s focus off of Vietnam and towards fixing the domestic issues at home. Carter was trying to Put the country in a different state
I personally don’t have any family members that served or are currently serving in the war. While I don’t like war, but then again who does? I do think sometimes it is necessary and I respect anyone who has sacrificed for this Country. But I don’t think forcing someone against their will to fight is right either.
I have friends and family that have served for our country and I believe it is not right to force someone to participate in a war. Especially if the individual does not believe they need to. If this is truly a free country the individual should have the choice to participate in something of this magnitude.
I an pro for this movement. Carter was accused of many controversies, when he was revolutionizing the countries aftermath of the war.
Just as the other comments, my grandpa served almost 7 years in Vietnam, in the Rangers unit of the United states army. Most of the men back then found it no problem to head over sees, many tried to escape the draft, many of those attempts failed.
I actually think it was a great idea to make draft dodgers apply for pardons individually. It made them admit that they did something wrong instead of keeping it a secret. Good move by Carter.
By making draft dodgers apply for a pardon individually, Carter made them admit they committed a crime by dodging the draft, which was a crime at the time. I wonder how many people didn’t apply.
I honestly don’t think there would be a way to please everyone. I think the point of a draft is that it should not be dodged without good reason.
I agree that men should’ve had to apply for a pardon. Nothing that anyone does is ever going to please everyone.
I couldn’t imagine living a life running and hiding to dodge the draft.
All of my uncles and grandpas served in the war. They did not complain, they fought for our country and our freedom.
I didn’t realize that some draft dodgers went to Canada or other countries. I just assumed it was an unavoidable ‘duty’.
I can understand why people would not want to be drafted, but that doesn’t mean it is right to dodge it. The draft was put into place for a reason and purposefully avoiding it is not right. That being said, I think Carter did right by not having a blanket pardon. He is still accepting that the dodgers will not receive a penalty, but he is also making sure that they hold themselves accountable.
I heard about people dodging the draft. I never realized how big of a deal it actually was.
I understand why you wouldn’t want to go to war but sometimes you just gotta.
I don’t blame anyone who doesn’t want to go to war
I dont have any one in my family that has served the army. i honestly think many people are against war but it would have to be really hard to hide and run away from being drafted. Also did not know it was a huge issue with dodging the draft.
The closest person to me that served in a war was like my great grandfather so I never knew him. I wish I could have talked with him and heard his stories.
There are too many ways politicians get around the draft. Even to this day, there are too many times when the politicians get out of things because they have power.
My grandfather served in the Vietnam War. He knew that if it weren’t for the American troops coming together, we would surely have lost. The war was inevitable.
I could not imagine running and hiding to avoid the draft. I understand why some people did not want to go into the war.
I certainly can’t imagine facing being drafted so I sympathize with the dodgers.
I did not know the dodgers were pardoned. I wonder how many soldiers would have attempted to dodge if they had it to do over again after the pardon was granted?
Even after the war in Vietnam was over there was still tension in America. Carter did what he thought would ease it, but only upset the people more.
President Carter did not get re-elected because he was an ineffective president. Not sure if I agree with the pardon, but at least he did not do a blanket pardon.
I have some family members that did and are currently serving in the military. Although it is very scary, I am extremely grateful for putting their live constantly on the line for our freedom!
The Vietnam conflict was so fiercely contested that Carter’s decision was most likely meant to bring about comfort and some sense of resolution.
Many of my family members have served in wars, either WW II or the Vietnam war, and both of them voluntarily signed up for the war. I couldn’t imagine being forced into a war, so I can understand why people would dodge the draft.
My Grandfather served in the Navy a while ago and I honor and respect him so much. Unfortunately, he did pass away, but when he did he received a flag, a medal for his tombstone, and a letter honoring him for his duties.
I have a few family members who served in the Vietnam war and like Martin Luther King Jr., my family did not agree with the fact that we should be involved in a war. My family members nonetheless agreed to participate and not dodge the war.
I understand the pardon of draft dodgers but we americans do not see how serving your country in a war should be a noble thing not a disappointing thing. I never want to go to war but if it is my time to serve than thats what i have to do
I have no idea why this happened, these people should have been arrested for treason not pardoned,makes me sick to think about all the people who died in Vietnam who didn’t want to go either.
I couldn’t imagine being there when the Vietnam war took place.
I do not think draft dodgers should have been pardoned. No one wanted to be drafted, but many went anyway.
Viewpoints can change quickly. The 1960s and 70s really were not that long ago if you think about it.
I was unaware that this happened until I read the article.
Although Jimmy Carter pardoning the Vietnam draft dodgers was extremely controversial, I think the war itself was even more controversial. This act may have subdued the anger of the people that were against the war in the first place.
I know that my grandfather enlisted on his own because he said his “number” was coming up anyway and wanted to chose what branch he was moving into.
It is pretty important to realize that the Vietnam veterans were treated much different fifty years ago than they are today. Overall, I find it pretty disgraceful that they were not respected after coming home in fighting such an awful war.
I can understand why so many people were against the war, and chose to ignore their draft requests. I personally believe that you should not have to serve in a war you do not believe in.
I do not blame them for trying to dodge the war. It was right after a time where the nation was divided by the Vietnam war. It was a terrible time for our nation and people were terrified at what was to come next with war.
A lot of my family fought in the Vietnam war. One of my cousins was killed in the war. His father ended up shooting himself a couple of years later. The Vietnam war effected more than just the people involved.
I never knew that we were going to pardon people who missed the draft. Personally, I do not think it is necessary for the president to serve in the military, however dodging the draft was kind of a big deal.
Interesting article. I am very happy that we don’t have the draft anymore, although I suppose it could always come back. Even the men who did not want to fight did their duty and were proud to fight for their Country.
No matter Americans or Vietnamese, the people who fought in the war suffered the forever pain in their lives. Wars cannot bring people happiness but pain.
Drafting seems so sad to me and makes me think of the Disney movie Mulan. I’m glad we no longer do that.
Im not sure how to feel about the pardon its almost like pardoning a diservable dishonorable discharge.
My grandpa actually met jimmy carter. my grandpa was painting his garage door and carter was running for election. He actually stopped and helped my grandpa paint part of the garage.
Ive had family fight in wars and it really is scary knowing they could die any second.
Having very little family serving (past and present), I don’t have many personal examples that relate to this article. My little brother is 18 years old, newly sworn into the National Guard. I have yet to see a young man more determined than he to serve and protect his country. It makes me so proud to see him with such a selfless mindset.
me too i dont have any family member in the war . also i agree with the people anti war
Draft dodging is certainly quite cowardly. The real question is this, would so many be apt to dodge the draft had the Viet Nam war been more like World War II?
I volunteered to serve my country. Not sure if by a making someone join was the best idea. Times were so different then.
I served and I have family that served, but you can not blame people who flee for fear. Who wants to play a gamble on their lives and if their heads are not into game, don’t let them play.
The good thing is that these soldier who paid such a high price are now treated far better than they were when they came home.
I think people that dodged the draft are selfish unamericans. If we did a draft now a days and I were selected I would man up and go serve my country.
I don’t blame men for dodging the draft and I think it was right to pardon those who did. War is a horrible thing and you are asked to kill other people. You should only go if you want and we should not draft.
I think dodging the draft isn’t right. If everyone else has to go through the same process then so do you.
I had a and grandpa who served in world war II and I don’t remember much about him but I do know we wouldn’t be where we are n if it wasn’t for all that fought for our country.
My grandfathers served in the military, with one served in the Vietnam war. They have never regretted the decision to fight for their country and saw it as an honor.
Being forced into something that you do not believe in blows my mind. Fighting for something that you do not believe in really goes against a persons will.
I think the military is not for everyone, but if your country calls for you to help, then you should do your part.
Although to draft the dodge was a coward move, I would rather not have such cowards fighting alongside of warriors. Should have just pardoned them and been done with it. Its on them to live as cowards.
Even though I feel that the Vietnam war was wrong. I still feel that if you were drafted it is your duty to go (Even if you don’t want too), I look at the draft dodgers as cowards. If you leave your country during its time of need, you should not be allowed back in.
This is just one of the reasons why Carter is considered one of the worst presidents of all time. Draft dodgers were part of the reason why soldier moral was so low and also hurt race relations. The fact that the wealthy could dodge the draft meant that African Americans were twice as likely to be drafted due to institutionalized racism in our country at the time, not to mention the lower class Americans that could not dodge the draft. Why could Carter reward someone who had the privilege of dodging the Vietnam War.
I believe if your country calls on you to do a duty, you should do it and do it proudly! You should not try to figure out a way to get out of it.
I am proud to say that I had an uncle that was drafted and served honorably. Sadly he gave the ultimate sacrifice of his life.
I can’t imagine being forced into the military. In the Vietnam time period these men know there was a great chance they were not coming home. I could definitely why some did not want to be drafted.
My Dad was drafted for the Vietnam war but was turned away due to medical reasons. I cannot exactly remember the reason but I know it was ridiculous. Not that I am upset, but for a country that was adamant for soldiers why would they turn him away, especially if he wanted to fight.
I can’t imagine being forced or having a family member forced into the military and sent off to war. A war that you knew you would most likely not return from. I can definitely understand why men were burning their draft cards. I also commend the men that did go and honorably served their country.
I could not imagine having a family member being drafted. The men and women who choose to put their lives on the line for us and our country are heroes.
I don’t think anyone should be forced into joining the military for war. If someone is forced to do something they don’t wanna do, they’re not gonna give their all.
Funny how the well connected white men somehow avoided the draft. Interesting how that happens! I think I’d rather sit in an American jail as a draft dodger than in a Vietnam jungle.
I have to wonder if we will ever see another true “military man or woman” ever be elected to the presidency again? I would argue that Jimmy Carter has done more post-presidency than any modern president in history. Taft being nominated and later confirmed as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court after serving one term as president in the early 20th century, still ranks highly for me.
That was interesting to read about all the men that held positions within our government who avoided the draft. I think the most surprising of them all was Dick Chenney.
I am torn over the issue of pardoning the draft dodgers. I can see both sides of the issue. I ultimately think what President Carter did was necessary to move the country past the Vietnam War and its fallout. Interestingly, for as big on the military as Dick Chenney was, you would think he would have served in the military.
I am shocked to read about the elected political figures who turned out to be draft dodgers, specifically George W. Bush (purportedly) and Dick Cheney. I am thankful that there have yet to be any wars during my adult life that have required a draft, because I can’t imagine the course of my life being so abruptly altered from what I have planned. The Vietnam veterans who had no choice but to follow the call of duty should forever be honored as American heroes.
I have many relatives in my family who are serving are did serve in a form of military. I do not like the thought of war but if that is what this world needs to keep some type of piece then allow those who are willing to put their lives on the front line do it. I do not agree with forcing someone to do a duty they do not want to do do because then they will not do it to the best of their ability.