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Draft or Join

After graduating high school in 1966, Steve Sober's time at Dickinson College was short lived. In 1967, he enlisted in the U.S. Army in order to be able to choose his initial occupation rather be assigned one while drafted.

Between 1964 and 1973, the U.S. Military drafted almost 2 million American men to serve. During (and prior to) the Vietnam War, the U.S. utilized conscription, a draft system mandating the enlistment of men into the armed services. This system caused many young men to volunteer in order to have a choice of their job while serving.

"It was either get drafted or join."

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Steve Sober: Draft or Join, Crossing the Military-Civilian Divide Steve Sober, "Crossing the Military Civilian Divide," interviewed by Dr. Jason A. Higgins, Jan. 25, 2023, Williamsburg, VA. "Crossing the Military-Civilian Divide" project is part of a 4-VA Collaborative research project by Dr. Jason A. Higgins, postdoctoral fellow in digital humanities, and Andre Taylor, oral historian at the College of William and Mary. Special thanks to our three research assistants Leena Alsayab, Madison Cholewa, and Gabrielle Wells, who are undergraduate students and recent graduates of Virginia Tech.