“Really,” I exclaimed, “Did both of you register for the Selective Service when you turned eighteen? They both nodded a bit puzzled. I continued, “The whole reason for Selective Service registration is so they can draft you if our country needs you to serve in the military.”
After a pause, one said, “You can’t get college financial aid unless you register.”
“So you had a good reason to register with Selective Service,” I said. “That’s the same Selective Service I registered with in 1968. They registered me so that later then President Richard Nixon sent me greetings.”
I had their attention. “Didn't it occur to you that if our country gets into a big shooting war young men like you are just what our Army needs?”
One student protested, “No that is not right. Our country has an all-volunteer military. Our country does not conscript people against their will into war.”
I smiled, “Then why did your country need you to sign up for Selective Service in the first place? They spent years pushing you to do so when you turned eighteen. They made sure you knew bad things would happen if you did not. The way I see it, our country has two more draft eligible soldiers if needed.”
Panic crept into their eyes and I went on. “I’m 63 so they do not want me. They need young men.” I sang a verse from long ago, “You’re in the Army now, you’re in the Army now… you’ll never get out, you’ll never get out, you’re in the Army now.”
Two geezers behind me laughed loudly. They sang that same verse again.
Finally I asked, “Did you vote in the last election?” Both shook their heads no, “We not registered.”
I could not help observing, “Then there is no political reason for any politician to save your butts.”
They paid at the register and hurried out. The geezers behind me laughed, “Bet they now pay attention to the world news.”
Do I think the draft is on its way back? It seems likely since our society is becoming more repressive. There was no draft during most of the 1920s and 1930s. Earlier there was a draft during the First World War, but that conflict was supposedly the “War to End All Wars,” as my grandfather’s medal proclaims.
The difference then and now is we seem to be looking for trouble now while back then trouble came looking for us. In 1940 no one could imagine that in the next few years a total of sixteen million men and women out of a total American population numbering 132 million would serve in our armed forces. And, nearly half a million Americans died in that conflict.
Our current president has been “Adventuring” in a number of hot spots where America is directly opposed by the two other biggest militaries, Russia and China. It is almost like the start of the First World War all over again. One spark at the wrong time and the world goes up in flames.
In a limited conflict like Afghanistan, our all-volunteer military can work effectively for a while. But our military along with National Guard units are at a breaking point. Many service men and women have served multiple overseas deployments.
If our leadership gets us into an extended conflict there is no other way for our country to continue than with a draft. Ultimately, despite drones, missiles and F-22s, some poor mother’s son has to kick down a door and take buildings for us to truly prevail in a wartime conflict.
As long as we are registering young people for the draft it is not if, only when someone will decide to harvest those who have registered. At the very least today’s young men should keep up with the world news so it does not come as a surprise when someone says, “You’re in the Army now.”
Dr. Michael Swickard hosts the syndicated radio talk show News New Mexico on six to nine a.m. Monday - Friday on a number of New Mexico radio stations and through streaming. Email: michael@swickard.com
