Vietnam Troop Levels

This is the number of troops in Vietnam for each year of the war. The draft lottery was from 1969 to 1971. During those years, the Selective Service used a lottery to determine the order in which draft age men would be called up for duty, usually in Vietnam. Many who received a low number were drafted or chose to enlist. Others went to any extreme to avoid being sent to fight in the unpopular war.

Vietnam Troop Levels

The first number is the year - the next number is the number of troops sent to Vietnam - the third number is the number of troops killed in action.

1960 - 900
1961 - 3,200

1962 - 11,300

1963 - 16,300

1964 - 23,300

1965 - 184,300 - 1864 (number of deaths for years 1961 - 1965)

1966 - 385,300 - 5008

1967 - 485,600 - 9378

1968 - 536,100 - 14,594

1969 - 475,200 - 9414

1970 - 334,600 - 4221

1971 - 156,800 - 1380

1972 - 24,200 - 300

By 1972, an estimated 70,000 draft evaders and deserters were living in Canada

Mapleton's Vietnam Lottery

We simulated the Vietnam Draft Lottery for students at Mapleton Middle and High School. For each month that the actual lottery took place we drew a random birth date. Then we looked at the birthdays of each student.

According their birthdays and our lottery for each month the draft was in place, Orion, Casey, Liz, Marina, and Rikki would have been drafted into the active service for Vietnam.

Look at the birth dates chosen below, to see if your "number" would have sent you to Vietnam.

December 1969 – December 28

1970
January – December 15

February – May 31

March – July 25

April – January 6

May – October 19

June – July 7

July – November 4

August – February 10

September – August 11

October – January 1

November – January 11

December – December 22

1971
January – September 16

February – November 30








March – September 3

April – December 30

May – January 25

June – July 24

July – June 21

August – November 9

September – December 16

October – January 21

November – September 7

December – September 13

1972
January – September 2

February – September 11