It’s unclear how many draft dodgers and deserters came to Canada during the Vietnam War, but estimates are that 125,000 Americans came to Canada between 1964 and 1977. They constituted the biggest political exodus in U.S. history. Half of the above number stayed in Canada according to the 1986 census.
How many draft dodgers came to Canada during the Vietnam War?
Between 1964 and 1975, an estimated 40,000 such war resisters crossed the border. In Canada, draft dodgers were simply classified as immigrants, a part of the 250,000 or so Americans who emigrated during those years. Some brought their families.
How many U.S. citizens were drafted in Vietnam?
2.2 million American men
The military draft brought the war to the American home front. During the Vietnam War era, between 1964 and 1973, the U.S. military drafted 2.2 million American men out of an eligible pool of 27 million.
Did Canada have a draft during Vietnam?
At least 134 Canadians died or were reported missing in Vietnam. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of American Vietnam War resisters emigrated to Canada to avoid the draft. Largely middle class and educated, they had a significant impact on Canadian life.
How many Americans fled to avoid the draft?
In total, some 100,000 young Americans went abroad in the late 1960s and early ’70s to avoid serving in the war. Ninety percent went to Canada, where after some initial controversy they were eventually welcomed as immigrants. Still others hid inside the United States.
Who avoided the Vietnam draft?
1. Be a Conscientious Objector. Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mennonites, the Amish, and Quakers are all considered Peace Churches who are opposed to any kind of military service. They were allowed to serve in other ways, however, but in a civilian capacity.
Could Canada have a draft again?
But it is unlikely that Canada will reintroduce the draft. During the First and Second World Wars, conscription created deep divisions in the country.
Did fathers get drafted in Vietnam?
During the conflict in Vietnam, married men with dependents could obtain a deferment from the draft.
What was the bloodiest day in Vietnam?
The deadliest day of the Vietnam War for the U.S. was 31 January at the start of the Tet Offensive when 246 Americans were killed in action.
What was the max age for Vietnam draft?
Before the lottery was implemented in the latter part of the Vietnam conflict, there was no system in place to determine order of call besides the fact that men between the ages of 18 and 26 were vulnerable to being drafted. Local boards called men classified 1-A, 18-1/2 through 25 years old, oldest first.
Why didn t Canada fight in Vietnam?
During the Vietnam War, the role of Canada was support and peacekeeping rather than joining American forces in the fight against the North Vietnamese. While the country wasn’t active in the war, it was impacted by the war. Canada served as a safe haven for 30,000 – 40,000 American deserters and draft resisters.
In what years did refugees enter Canada from Vietnam?
Between 1975 and 1976, Canada admitted 5,608 Vietnamese immigrants. Due to the public outcry, in 1979, Canadian government decided that the number of “Boat People” brought to Canada should be dependent on public support.
How many Canadians joined the US military during the Vietnam War?
30,000
The statistic that is perhaps most startling is that the number of Canadians who served in Vietnam (somewhere between 30,000 and 40,000) is likely a higher total than the number of Canadians who served in Korea or Afghanistan and over 125 of these Canadians in Vietnam paid the ultimate price.
What happens if you get drafted and refuse to go?
If you are required to register and you do not, you will not be eligible for state-based student aid in many states, federal job training, or a federal job. You may be prosecuted and face a fine of up to $250,000 and jail time of up to five years.
What is the punishment for draft dodging?
If required to register with Selective Service, failure to register is a felony punishable by a fine of up to $250,000 and/or 5 years imprisonment.
Is the draft still a thing in Canada?
There is at present no military conscription in Canada. Conscription was implemented in Canada during the First and Second World Wars, for men of military age and fitness.
What was the punishment for draft dodging in Vietnam?
Those who went abroad faced imprisonment or forced military service if they returned home. In September 1974, President Gerald R. Ford offered an amnesty program for draft dodgers that required them to work in alternative service occupations for periods of six to 24 months.
How many went to Canada to avoid draft?
The BBC stated that “as many as 60,000 young American men dodged the draft.” Estimates of the total number of American citizens who moved to Canada due to their opposition to the war range from 50,000 to 125,000 This exodus was “the largest politically motivated migration from the United States since the United Empire
What birthdays were drafted in Vietnam?
On December 1, 1969, the Selective Service System of the United States conducted two lotteries to determine the order of call to military service in the Vietnam War in the year 1970, for men born from January 1, 1944 to December 31, 1950.
What age is the draft cut off Canada?
All male citizens between ages 20 and 45 could be conscripted.
Who Cannot be drafted?
WHO ARE EXEMPT FROM THE DRAFT?
- The Vice-President of the United States, the Judges of the various Courts of the Untied States, the heads of the various executive departments of the Government, and the Governors of the several States.
- The only son liable to military duty of a widow dependent upon his labor for support.