MY SAY: GRADUATIONS THEN AND NOW
Since 1977 I have attended about 26 graduations- from grade school, high school, college, law schools. In none of the graduations I have attended has a national military draft loomed. In September 1940 there was a different outlook for millions of graduates.
The Burke-Wadsworth Act calling for a peacetime draft in the history of the United States was imposed. Selective Service was born and the registration of men between the ages of 21 and 36 began one month later. There were some 20 million eligible young men—50 percent were rejected the very first year, either for health reasons or illiteracy (20 percent of those who registered were illiterate). In November 1942, with the United States now engaged in World War 11 the draft ages expanded and men 18 to 37 were now eligible. By war’s end, approximately 34 million men had registered, and 10 million served with the military.
Those were the young men who answered the call of duty- who fought and died with honor in the major battles which vanquished Japanese and German enemies. Graduation parties gave way to separation, boot camps, shipping out and combat.
I think of them today on the anniversary of the Normandy Invasion.
Their memory is a blessing….rsk
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