DogOnPorch

1965 wasn't really a conscript tour year. USMC first in, my friend. 1st Air Cav and other volunteer units not far behind. Lots of SEATO troops as well. About 150,000 troops. 1966 was the year that started producing actual boots on the ground from the draft. Some really huge operations in 1966/67....Cocoa Beach, Cedar Falls, etc. Lots of action in the Iron Triangle and Mekong.

actually, a lot of guys in the Airborne & Air Cav were draftees

a lot of guys got drafted first, then volunteered for the Airborne

back in 1964-65, guys who got drafted were not yet influenced by the Antiwar movement

One of the most colourful wars, for certain. A lot going on from the air war to the Brown Water Navy.

There was a steady draft through the 50s but I believe it was the end of the marriage deferment in August 1965 that gave that huge wave of troops to SEA. By late 1967 there was a half a million.

Things were actually doing quite well in South Viet-Nam after Tet as the Viet Cong had pretty much destroyed themselves leaving the NVA to fill their role. But the anti-war movement took off. Should have stuck to it...a second South Korea in the making.