At the height of the Vietnam War, the U.S. military draft became one of the most divisive issues in American history. Nearly 70% of American soldiers serving in Vietnam were draftees, many of them young men barely out of high school. The draft system, based on local draft boards and a lottery, was riddled with inequality — students from wealthy families often avoided service by enrolling in college, while working-class men and minorities had little means of escape. African Americans, in particul

At the height of the Vietnam War, the U.S. military draft became one of the most divisive issues in American history. Nearly 70% of American soldiers serving in Vietnam were draftees, many of them young men barely out of high school. The draft system, based on local draft boards and a lottery, was riddled with inequality — students from wealthy families often avoided service by enrolling in college, while working-class men and minorities had little means of escape. African Americans, in particul