Why was Ali the only prominent boxer drafted into Vietnam?

[Willie Pep 229]

- - US military had height and weight standards during the Vietnam era among medical standards exempting heart murmurs, flat feet, bum knees, and most infamously, "bone spurs," ya could look it up.

Could care less about the Willard situation that was wholly different.

You don't have to get pissed about me brining up Willard, it is interesting.

They had height limitations in Vietnam ? I know they always had them for pilots but was unaware for common troops.

I don't know about flat feet - that was a WWI deal as was being the sole supporter of your family, that was WWI as well. Both were put aside for WWII, they took you anyway.

Could have been different for VN. Every draft law, for each war was structured differently and enforced inconsistently.

But don't get pissed at me for disagreeing.

I rant on about the Willard situation because I am convinced had Willard not played it cheeky they wouldn't have looked at Denpsey so closely.

P.S. The biggest scam for VN was getting your family doctor to say your aliment made service impossible. Enter the heel spur.

I had a HS coach who got drafted in the very last round by the Dolphins in 1967 as a punter. He played ball for Wichita St and when his deferment was over his family doctor claimed his knee was gone. It wasn't.

Got his rejection from the draft but could not risk showing up at the Dolphins camp.

I was 1-A for one month (February 1973) the following month I was moved to 1-H, and then in April we went all volunteer. Didn't matter my draft number was actually #365. (Feb. 26th.)

Did you serve?

[edgarg]

I suspect because he was a brash popular people's champion the government wanted him to "dance" for them. If they could get a big mouth champion like Ali behind the war anyone could. Turn him into a Joe Louis for the Vietnam war. They wouldn't have put him the jungle but they would have used him for propaganda purposes.

If he had gone he's have spent his stretch giving boxing exhibitions well behind the lijnes. In WW2 many famous boxers were drafted.... like Sugar Ray Robinson, And I don't recall any being wounded or worse. Maybe someone else on here does.

The only one I know of was Barney Ross, who was wounded and became addicted to his pain killers. They made a movie about it. He was a hero too. But he was already just retired in 1939. He was glad to contribute to the country who had saved his family from Russian pogroms and worse. Many other ***ish boxers felt the same and did their bit.. But that was WW2, when a different spirit was in the US.

[edgarg]

We cannot rule out a little funny business given Ali's singularly unique meaning to the African American community at that time, and the fact that in 67' the stars of boxing were still the most high profile athletes in the world. Don't want to create conspiracy theory where no proof exists though.
However, strange things did occur showing how malleable the selective service standards could be.
A Life magizine story dated December 9, 1966 was run titled “The Draft—Who Beats It and How.” The main piece, by reporter Donald Jackson examined flaws in the law governing the draft and how deferments, exemptions, and other loopholes had fostered “a pervasive and probably healthy skepticism about the entire system.” The NFL warranted a seperate peice titled “Bald Case in Point: Pro Football’s Magical Immunity.”
During World War II, more than five hundred professional Baseball players had served in the military, and those included stars like Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio; but during the Vietnam conflict, less than fifty players served; none of them stars.
More telling still, all ballplayers who served in a combat unit in Vietnam were drafted when they were minor-league players, not on a major-league roster.
Ali, as we know, was vulnerable as an operator in the freelance world of Boxing, where he had no employer to protect him. Interestingly, in the Vietnam Era, only 8% of the eligible men were ever drafted, so the odds were not that high of being called to serve.
Ali's teammate, Eddie Crook, Jr.(April 19, 1929-July 28, 2005), a career Army man, was an Olympic Gold medalist for the United States at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, in the 165 pound class. He served two tours in Vietnam with the US Army, and was awarded as Silver Star, Bronze Star, and two Purple Hearts.
Ken Norton served in the Marine Corps from 63' to 67', before he becane famous in 73'. Mac Foster, a top contender of the early 70s served in Vietnam, as did WBA world champ Mike Weaver, a Marine between 68' and 71', heavyweight hopeful Joey Orbillo, 140 lb. Champ Saoul Mamby (each serving before becoming well known in boxing), and Fred Lewis, who Ali beat for a spot on the 1960 team, who was an airman during the war.
We might also take a moment to remember 1964 Olympic Bronze medalist Flyweight Robert Carmody, who was killed in action serving with the United States Army in the Vietnam war.

I knew some but had forgotten, but most I didn't know. A very interesting and educational post from you. But as I said, Ali would have been doing physical training classes and giving boxing exhibs anyway, and as you say, might not even have done more than put on a uniform or even not gone at all..

Even Elvis put on a uniform....but that was in a movie, a rotten one too.

[QueensburyRules]

You don't have to get pissed about me brining up Willard, it is interesting.

They had height limitations in Vietnam ? I know they always had them for pilots but was unaware for common troops.

I don't know about flat feet - that was a WWI deal as was being the sole supporter of your family, that was WWI as well. Both were put aside for WWII, they took you anyway.

Could have been different for VN. Every draft law, for each war was structured differently and enforced inconsistently.

But don't get pissed at me for disagreeing.

I rant on about the Willard situation because I am convinced had Willard not played it cheeky they wouldn't have looked at Denpsey so closely.

P.S. The biggest scam for VN was getting your family doctor to say your aliment made service impossible. Enter the heel spur.

I had a HS coach who got drafted in the very last round by the Dolphins in 1967 as a punter. He played ball for Wichita St and when his deferment was over his family doctor claimed his knee was gone. It wasn't.

Got his rejection from the draft but could not risk showing up at the Dolphins camp.

I was 1-A for one month (February 1973) the following month I was moved to 1-H, and then in April we went all volunteer. Didn't matter my draft number was actually #365. (Feb. 26th.)

Did you serve?

- - Pep, I'm here for fun, not being POed. Pulling Monkey tails, remembering fighters, absorbing any legit lessons to be had, so you musta forgot like Roy Jones reminded the public.

I already laid out my history of riding out my draft number for a year to be placed on the inactive listing.

Now, down here we had organized protest groups putting together seminars on techniques to avoid the draft, ie act gay, spend 24 hours eating nothing but beans, acting out a bum knee, act like a drug addict or alcoholic, record ****** test scores, the whole gambit.

WW1 was a farcical made up mop up at the end of that genocide for the US military still in agony from their ****** Civil War. Baseball being a legit sport and monopoly only had to raise the saluted flag and march the players around formation to various patriotic anthems which is where that national anthem being played before every sporting event originated.

They looked at Dempsey the same reason they looked at Ali, ie publicity as the all powerful overseer over citizens lives. When a legit war, WW2 came, Dempsey joined immediately for training troops in hand to hand and conditioning before requesting action in the Pacific. Ali had no such righteous war, and no matter, at that time he marched to orders by Elijah who was using him as their cash cow.