During his college years, Clinton's political opponents claim he used the political influence of a U.S. Senator who employed him as an aide to avoid being drafted into the Vietnam War.[1] Col. Eugene Holmes, an Army officer who was involved in Clinton's case, issued a notarized statement during the 1992 presidential campaign: "...I was informed by the draft board that it was of interest to Senator Fullbright's office that Bill Clinton, a Rhodes Scholar, should be admitted to the ROTC program... I believe that he purposely deceived me, using the possibility of joining the ROTC as a ploy to work with the draft board to delay his induction and get a new draft classification."[2][3]
Clinton did not join the ROTC program, but the temporary ROTC status prevented him from being drafted. This was not illegal, but it became a source of criticism from conservatives and some Vietnam veterans.[4][5][6]
References
edit- ^ http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/clinton/etc/draftletter.html
- ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=Vq96BQV5lF4C&lpg=PA96&ots=RHyPEmLD9r&dq=&pg=PA100
- ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=_pcTJ0uTg_gC&lpg=PA562&ots=WbhTqYbZT1&dq=&pg=PA561
- ^ http://www.1stcavmedic.com/bill-clinton-draft.htm
- ^ http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/greenberg013105.asp
- ^ http://25thaviation.org/facts/id1129.htm