Marc writes: 1969, the year of the heaviest overall casualties (?)
was the only year, I think, in which draftees had a higher casualty
rate. Most of the dying was done by volunteers: so most folk were not
drafted to die in Vietnam, at least until 1969, though that phrase is
often repeated. Peter, do you have the total death rates for
volunteers/draftees on hand?
Peter replies;
The year of highest KIAs for the US was 1968. I'd wager that the
rate for draftees KIA increased thereafter because almost all the
draftees were Army, the Marines began to withdraw in 1969, and
the Army stuck around until the bitter end.
I don't have KIA rates for draftees by year. One-third of US
KIAs were draftees: 14,791 Army and 613 Marines. Zero for the
Navy and Air Force. The Army had more draftees KIA than regular
Army, but if you add Army regulars, reserves, and National Guard,
the total is higher than for Army draftees. 96 percent of the
draftee KIAs werre Army.
By 1970, 88 percent of US infantry riflemen were draftees, and
infantry is the MOS of most KIAs. These would be mostly Army.
Sources: Baritz, _Backfire_ and Thayer, _War Without Fronts_.
Thayer has good manpower statistics.
Marc, I really like your new book. :-)
Peter Brush
(2)
Sender: "Marc J. Gilbert" <MGILBERT@nugget.ngc.peachnet.edu>
Subject: Re: The lottery [x3]
Peter Brush writes:
Draftees made up 16% of battle deaths in 1965. By 1969 this
number was up to 62 percent.
Marc writes: 1969, the year of the heaviest overall casualties (?)
was the only year, I think, in which draftees had a higher casualty
rate. Most of the dying was done by volunteers: so most folk were not
drafted to die in Vietnam, at least until 1969, though that phrase is
often repeated. Peter, do you have the total death rates for
volunteers/draftees on hand?