Where your' family have served in war or times of conflict

by **jonesthecurl** on Sun Jun 22, 2008 10:41 pm

InkL0sed wrote:
jonesthecurl wrote:A distant relative has apparently been doing some family history, and discovered an ancestor who fought at Trafalgar. (The battle that is, not the big square in London)

Thanks for the clarification.

Well, I fought in Trafalgar Square. Some git was trying to rip us off by charging really high prices for hot dogs on New year's Eve, so we tried to steal his hot dog stand and move it to where there were fewer customers.

by **btownmeggy** on Mon Jun 23, 2008 9:00 am

Jelman9099 wrote:History buff gods help her!!!

You disagree?

Do a google search for "draft" or "conscription" and "paid substitutes". It seems to have last existed with the Civil War. It certainly didn't exist in Vietnam, or WWII.

Now go to http://www.westegg.com/inflation/infl.cgi

Here's an example that I got: "What cost $500 in 1968 would cost $3073.42 in 2007."

by **dcowboys055** on Mon Jun 23, 2008 9:09 am

My great-grandpa helped operate the worlds first nuclear sub

My grandpa was stationed in the phillipines in WWII

My great-uncle served in the Pacific somewhere in WWII

My uncle was stationed in Berlin as a translater right in the middle of the cold war, and he was a translater during the first persian gulf war ( he speaks about 7 languages fluently)

by **joecoolfrog** on Mon Jun 23, 2008 10:17 am

Bruce Springstein tells a great story about the Vietnam draft ( check out Springstein boxed set - the river track ) Apparently his father was always on his back for being a useless,immoral longhair and was of the firm opinion that the army would sort him out.
Having failed his medical the boss sloped home and waited for the inevitable bollocking, on hearing the news however his dad put his arm around him and with tears in his eyes whispered '' thats good son,thats good ''.....

by **btownmeggy** on Mon Jun 23, 2008 10:19 am

joecoolfrog wrote:Bruce Springstein tells a great story about the Vietnam draft ( check out Springstein boxed set - the river track ) Apparently his father was always on his back for being a useless,immoral longhair and was of the firm opinion that the army would sort him out.
Having failed his medical the boss sloped home and waited for the inevitable bollocking, on hearing the news however his dad put his arm around him and with tears in his eyes whispered '' thats good son,thats good ''.....

Awww.

by **Jelman9099** on Mon Jun 23, 2008 10:37 am

Ok, I don't know exact inflation rates, But I do know there was a draft because my dad has his draft card!

by **btownmeggy** on Mon Jun 23, 2008 10:40 am

Jelman9099 wrote:Ok, I don't know exact inflation rates, But I do know there was a draft because my dad has his draft card!

Yes, there was a draft, but you couldn't pay for someone to take your spot.

You could get out of it by being a student or having medical problems, and I think if you could show that you had dependents that no one else could possibly care for in your absence or in the event of your death.

by **Jelman9099** on Mon Jun 23, 2008 10:43 am

You could pay to not be selected for it. They had a code for it even, he payed to have 1-O stamp put on.

by **btownmeggy** on Mon Jun 23, 2008 10:44 am

Jelman9099 wrote:You could pay to not be selected for it. They had a code for it even.

Link?

by **Jelman9099** on Mon Jun 23, 2008 10:49 am

HERE!
And here for Draft in U.S.A.

by **gdeangel** on Mon Jun 23, 2008 11:01 am

Jelman9099 wrote:You could pay to not be selected for it. They had a code for it even.

That was the Civil War you're thinking of friend. Read the article you posted. In vietnam, it was deferred for students. And while greenbacks wouldn't legally get you out of the draft, money and influence certainly meant you were more likely to get a choice spot in the National Guard (it's alluded to in the article you linked).

On topic: Vietnam; WWII; WWI. Before that, who knows. After that, it became politically expedient to do away with the draft.

by **btownmeggy** on Mon Jun 23, 2008 11:01 am

Jelman9099 wrote:HERE!
And here for Draft in U.S.A.

The first link doesn't say anything about it. The Classifications section mentions the exceptions I brought up... but not paid substitution. The second mentions it existing in Colonial times and during the Civil War. Not after.

by **Jelman9099** on Mon Jun 23, 2008 11:04 am

I'm going to have to say that he was on the DSN (Deep Space Network) project from NASA at this time. That I know is a fact.

by **InkL0sed** on Mon Jun 23, 2008 11:06 am

I'm fairly certain the Draft Riots basically ended paid substitution...

by **Jelman9099** on Mon Jun 23, 2008 11:08 am

I'm going to ban myself from the forum just to get away from you ugly ppl.

by **InkL0sed** on Mon Jun 23, 2008 11:10 am

Jelman9099 wrote:I'm going to ban myself from the forum just to get away from you ugly ppl.

Go ahead...

by **btownmeggy** on Mon Jun 23, 2008 11:10 am

Jelman9099 wrote:I'm going to have to say that he was on the DSN (Deep Space Network) project from NASA at this time. That I know is a fact.

OK. That probably would've been sufficient to avoid military service.

by **btownmeggy** on Mon Jun 23, 2008 11:12 am

Jelman9099 wrote:I'm going to ban myself from the forum just to get away from you ugly ppl.

Oh, c'mon, dude. I'm not trying to pick on you, I was just defending history.

Buck up.

Hug?

by **suggs** on Mon Jun 23, 2008 11:14 am

protectedbygold wrote:
muy_thaiguy wrote:Texas Revolution was the war between the inhabitants of what is now Texas and Mexico.

I visited Austin a few years back and they never cease to brag about how they stood up to the Mexican Army. Those people were some of the most patriotic I've ever encountered and damn, could they barbeque!!

Thats the key.

by **Jelman9099** on Mon Jun 23, 2008 11:17 am

Sorry, I'm a little implosive sometimes. I'm a history nut.

by **Gypsys Kiss** on Mon Jun 23, 2008 12:36 pm

Almost forgot somebody.My 8th cousin 5 times removed Lieutenant Colonel Anthony W. Durnford fought and died at the battle Isandlwana during the Zulu Wars. He is portrayed by Burt Lancaster in the film Zulu Dawn.