World War 2 Draft

During 1940 depression weary Americans hoped that the new decade would bring better days than the previous one. War swept Europe and Asia. People began to wonder whether when war rumours began to flood the newspapers. People tried to ignore the war by going to movies, watching sports, and listening to music.

By mid 1940 war was no longer possible to pretend. The time had come for citizens and representatives in Washington to take charge in the nation's course. Isolationists wanted to stay out of the war. Many small town people and rural flks wanted nothign to do with Europes affairs. The debate came down to whether or not the nation was ready or not to go to war. Americans grasped hope that a volunteer army would be more than enough for the troubled times to come. Army Chief of Staff George Marshall didn't agree. He said, "paper plans no longer will suffice. The security of our country depends on more trained men. There is no other way to do it."

When Hitler took France Americans started to listen to what Churchill had to say as he was broadcasted over radios across the United States. The time came for the nation to take its course. The Selective Training and Service Act was passed September 19, 1940, by almost two-to-one margin in both houses of Congress. Two days later at the White House Roosevelt approved the act.

The United States now had to take action. The nation would require its citizens to learn the art of self-defense in peacetime. The draft brought in men that were citizens of the United States and resident aliens. No more than 900,000 of them could be drafted during peacetime. The first big step in all of this was held on October 16, 1940, a day to be known as Registration Day. There were 125,000 registration centers across the nation. Here the young men came to enlist in the Army. On registration day Uncle Same brought in 16,500,000 men in one way or another. These men were the new defenders of the United States.

Registration Day was only a day to lead up to the draft. The actual draft took place on Octobor 29, 1940. When the men registered across the nation they were given a number between one and 8,500. The first number to be called on the day of the draft was 158. Throughout the day numbers were drawn and men were told in what order they would be needed by the United States.

More than a year later in December of

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