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Military Memories
Draft Era Veterans Recall their Service
Edited by Donald Zillman
This book describes eight American military veterans of the Vietnam/Cold War era and describes their service and its influence on their lives.
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About This Book
Eight American military veterans of the Vietnam/Cold War era describe their service and its influence on their lives since leaving active service in this book. Their stories are preceded by a concise history of America's methods of raising its military forces from colonial days to today. Particular focus is given to the 34 years in which the nation relied on the possibility of mandatory service (the draft, Selective Service) from young men. Drafted service was essential to America's role in World War I, World War II, the Cold War with the Soviet Union, and the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Special emphasis is given to Congressional acceptance of drafted service in World War I which shaped the remaining uses of the draft until 1973.
The largest part of the book provides the author's recollections of their service in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard in the United States and overseas. Their service was compelled or stimulated by the presence of the draft. Their military service then shaped the next half-century of their working lives.
The final section of the book provides the author’s collective recollections of their military service as seen from the third decade of the 21st century and half a century after the end of the military draft. They reflect on the challenges faced by the current American military and the possibilities of a return to some form of drafted military service.
Reviews
"Military Memories is an excellent overview of the history and future of America’s military actions in raising force structure with a focus on mandatory military service (the Draft). The eight contributing military veterans' descriptions of the influences of military service on their subsequent lives highlights the book".— Major General John Libby, retired as the Adjutant General of the Maine National Guard in 2014.
“In Military Memories, Donald Zillman has assembled a group of eight highly skilled veterans who provide great insight not only on the times and circumstances of their military service, but offer their personal perspectives on why military service or some form of national public service is in the nation’s best interests. Extremely well written, comprehensive without academic density, this is a must-read for all Americans, but especially for our elected leaders who have the Constitutional duty to raise and support an army to protect our nation’s security”— William S. Cohen, Former Secretary of Defense.
Author Information
Donald Zillman is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin (BS), the University of Wisconsin Law School (JD), and the University of Virginia Law School (LLM). Following service as a Law Clerk to Federal Court of Appeals Judge James M. Carter he was commissioned as a Captain in the Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps. Following JAG School basic training he was assigned to the JAG School at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. There he served as the editor of the Military Law Review and as a faculty member in the Civil Law Division.
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Table of Contents
Bios of Contributors; Section I Introduction; Section II America Raises Its Military Forces, Bibliography; Section III Personal Recollections, Eugene R. Fidell, Tom Mackie, Mick McBee, Arne Salvesen, Leif Salvesen, Paul Strieby, John Tewhey, Donald Zillman; Section IV Perspectives on Today’s Military, The Draft and the All-Volunteer Force, Our Shared Experiences, The Contemporary American Military, Decisions for the Government about a Renewed Draft, The Extraordinary Events of 2020–22; Index
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