in 1965 the united states decreased the number of us troops serving in vietnam
Opposition to United States involvement in the Vietnam War
To gain an exemption or deferment , many men attended college , though they had to remain in college until their 26th birthday to be certain of avoiding the draft . Some men were rejected by the military as 4 - F unfit for service failing to meet physical , mental , or moral standards . Still others joined the National Guard or entered the Peace Corps as a way of avoiding Vietnam . All of these issues raised concerns about the fairness of who got selected for involuntary service , since it was often the poor or those without connections who were drafted . Ironically , in light of modern political issues , a certain exemption was a convincing claim of homosexuality , but very few men attempted this because of the stigma involved . Also , conviction for certain crimes earned an exclusion , the topic of the anti-war song `` Alice 's Restaurant '' by Arlo Guthrie .
To gain an exemption or deferment , many men attended college , though they had to remain in college until their 26th birthday to be certain of avoiding the draft . Some men were rejected by the military as 4 - F unfit for service failing to meet physical , mental , or moral standards . Still others joined the National Guard or entered the Peace Corps as a way of avoiding Vietnam . All of these issues raised concerns about the fairness of who got selected for involuntary service , since it was often the poor or those without connections who were drafted . Ironically , in light of modern political issues , a certain exemption was a convincing claim of homosexuality , but very few men attempted this because of the stigma involved . Also , conviction for certain crimes earned an exclusion , the topic of the anti-war song `` Alice 's Restaurant '' by Arlo Guthrie .