Ask the Scholar

{
    "localId": "4525575",
    "label": "Ford Press Releases - Selective Service, 1966-1971",
    "core": "doc",
    "dtoType": "document",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/4525575"
}

{
    "id": "4525575",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/4525575",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Ford Press Releases - Selective Service, 1966-1971",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/4525575",
    "collections": [
        "Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers",
        "Press Releases Subject Files"
    ],
    "subjects": [
        "Compulsory national service",
        "Legislation"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/ford/grf-0054/642076/4525575.pdf",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/ford/grf-0054/642076/4525575.pdf",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/ford/grf-0054/642076/4525575.pdf",
    "imageCount": 1,
    "hasImages": true,
    "source": "import",
    "hasTranscription": false
}

{
    "url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/4525575",
    "naId": 4525575,
    "coverageEndDate": {
        "logicalDate": "1971-03-31",
        "month": 3,
        "year": 1971
    },
    "coverageStartDate": {
        "logicalDate": "1966-05-01",
        "month": 5,
        "year": 1966
    },
    "levelOfDescription": "fileUnit",
    "recordType": "description",
    "ocrSource": "nara-archive"
}

{
    "seq": 1,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "document",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/ford/grf-0054/642076/4525575.pdf",
    "mediaId": "4ed31cf90c240f6c",
    "ocrText": "The original documents are located in Box D9, folder \"Ford Press Releases - Selective\nService, 1966-1971\" of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at\nthe Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\nCopyright Notice\nThe copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of\nphotocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The Council donated to the United\nStates of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.\nWorks prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public\ndomain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to\nremain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid\ncopyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\nMICK DEFERMENT TESTS\nFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\nMAY 10, 1966\nSTATEMENT BY HOUSE MINORITY LEADER GERALD R. FORD, R-MICHIGAN.\nLt. Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, director of the National Selective Service\nSystem, today has informed me that the mixup in which hundreds of Michigan\ncollege students have been directed to take draft deferment tests hundreds\nof miles away from their campuses or hometowns will be \"straightened out.\"\n\"They may not get the exact date they want but they'll be able to take\nthe tests in their own areas,\" Gen. Hershey told me.\nReferring to the fact that instructions went \"opy out to the Michigan\nstudents telling them to report to test lites in Mississippi and Massachusetts,\nthe General said \"nobody from Michigan is going to Mississippi or to\nMassachusetts, either 11 \"We'll get this thing straightened out,\" he added.\nI called Gen. Hershey when I learned of the mixup and heard that\nCol. Arthur D. Holmes, the Michigan selective service director, was unable\nto get any satisfaction from Science Research Associates, the Chicago firm\nconducting the tests for National Selective Service Headquarters. Science\nResearch had told Col. Holmes it was \"too late\" and there was \"nothing they\ncould do about it at this late date.\"\nGen. Hershey had a few unkind things to say about computers.\n\"I don't know how it happened,\" he said. \"I'm just an old pencil-pusher,\nmyself.\"\n# # #\nFORD & LIBRARY GERALD\nDigitized from Box D9 of The Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library\nMICK DEFERMENT TESTS\nFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\nMAY 10, 1966\nSTATEMENT BY HOUSE MINORITY LEADER GERALD R. FORD, R-MICHIGAN.\nLt. Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, director of the National Selective Service\nSystem, today has informed me that the mixup in which hundreds of Michigan\ncollege students have been directed to take draft deferment tests hundreds\nof miles away from their campuses or hometowns will be \"straightened out.\"\n\"They may not get the exact date they want, but they'll be able to take\nthe tests in their own areas,\" Gen. Hershey told me.\nReferring to the fact that instructions went out to the Michigan\nstudents telling them to report to test sites in Mississippi and Massachusetts,\nthe General said \"nobody from Michigan is going to Mississippi or to\nMassachusetts, either.\" \"We'll get this thing straightened out,\" he added.\nI called Gen. Hershey when I learned of the mixup and heard that\nCol. Arthur D. Holmes, the Michigan selective service director, was unable\nto get any satisfaction from Science Research Associates, the Chicago firm\nconducting the tests for National Selective Service Headquarters. Science\nResearch had told Col. Holmes it was \"too late\" and there was \"nothing they\ncould do about it at this late date.\"\nGen. Hershey had a few unkind things to say about computers.\n\"I don't know how it happened,\" he said. \"I'm just an old pencil-pusher,\nmyself.\"\n###\nDistribution : Full\nQ Office Copy\nCONGRESSMAN\nNEWS\nGERALD R. FORD\nHOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER\nRELEASE\nFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE--\nFebruary 21, 1970\nI fully concur with the President's Commission on an All-Volunteer Armed\nForce that we should move toward an all-volunteer military as quickly as possible.\nThe commission proposes allowing the Selective Service Act to expire as of\nJune 30, 1971. There is good reason to believe that this would not only be\ndesirable but feasible. Meantime we should overhaul the draft law, raise first-term\nmilitary pay, and expand the role and capability of our reserve forces.\nI have long advocated an end to the draft once the United States combat role\nin Vietnam is reduced to the point where the draft no longer is necessary. Today\nI reaffirm that advocacy. The only way to end all of the inequities in the draft\nis to end the draft itself.\nIt appears to me that President Nixon's program for ending the U.S. ground\ncombat role in Vietnam through Vietnamization of the war will make it feasible to\ncarry out the recommendations of his Commission on an All-Volunteer Armed Force.\nThe commission has done an excellent job of analyzing the pros and cons of\nan all-volunteer military. Each of its members deserves the thanks of the American\npeople.\n###\n11111117\nU. S. HOUSE\nOF REPRESENTATIVES\nREPUBLICAN POLICY\nCOMMITTEE\nREP. JOHN J. RHODES, (R.-ARIZ.) CHAIRMAN\n1616 LONGWORTH HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING\nTELEPHONE 225-6168\n10\n92nd Congress\nMarch 30, 1971\nFirst Session\nStatement Number 1\nHOUSE REPUBLICAN POLICY COMMITTEE STATEMENT ON H.R. 6531\nAMENDING THE MILITARY SELECTIVE SERVICE ACT OF 1967\n\"For greater equity we will further revise\nSelective Service policies\nWhen military\nmanpower needs can be appreciably reduced,\nwe will place the Selective Service System\non standby and substitute a voluntary force\nobtained through adequate pay and career\nincentives.\"\nRepublican Platform, 1968\nThe House Republican Policy Committee supports the passage of H.R. 6531,\nAmending the Military Selective Service Act of 1967.\nTremendous progress has been made by President Nixon in effecting the\norderly and responsible withdrawal of American forces from Vietnam. The early,\n1969, U.S. troop level in Vietnam of approximately 550,000 will fall below 284,000\nby May 1st of this year. Reflecting the substantial lessening of combat action,\nthe 1970 draft call was the smallest since 1964, before the major commitment of\nU.S. forces in Southeast Asia.\nConsistent with the Republican promise of draft reduction and reform, the\nPresident has recommended legislative action to facilitate a two-year transition\nfrom conscription to an all-volunteer military force. An extension of induction\nauthority is required if we are to maintain, in the interim, the size and quality\n(over)\n-2-\nof the armed forces necessary for our Nation's security. The proposed draft\nreforms will enable us to work toward the objective of a zero draft call.\nTo insure a military force adequate to maintain the Nation's security,\na continuation of induction authority is essential. To achieve the goal of\nzero draft calls, passage of the legislative proposals to make military service\nmore attractive and rewarding, as provided by H.R. 6531, is urgently required.\nThe House Republican Policy Committee recommends the passage of H.R. 6531,\nAmending the Military Selective Service Act of 1967.\nU. S. HOUSE\nOF REPRESENTATIVES\nREPUBLICAN POLICY\nCOMMITTEE\nREP. JOHN J. RHODES, (R.-ARIZ.) CHAIRMAN\n1616 LONGWORTH HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING\nTELEPHONE 225-6168\n10\n92nd Congress\nMarch 30, 1971\nFirst Session\nStatement Number 1\nHOUSE REPUBLICAN POLICY COMMITTEE STATEMENT ON H.R. 6531\nAMENDING THE MILITARY SELECTIVE SERVICE ACT OF 1967\n\"For greater equity we will further revise\nSelective Service policies\nWhen military\nmanpower needs can be appreciably reduced,\nwe will place the Selective Service System\non standby and substitute a voluntary force\nobtained through adequate pay and career\nincentives.\"\nRepublican Platform, 1968\nThe House Republican Policy Committee supports the passage of H.R. 6531,\nAmending the Military Selective Service Act of 1967.\nTremendous progress has been made by President Nixon in effecting the\norderly and responsible withdrawal of American forces from Vietnam. The early,\n1969, U.S. troop level in Vietnam of approximately 550,000 will fall below 284,000\nby May 1st of this year. Reflecting the substantial lessening of combat action,\nthe 1970 draft call was the smallest since 1964, before the major commitment of\nU.S. forces in Southeast Asia.\nConsistent with the Republican promise of draft reduction and reform, the\nPresident has recommended legislative action to facilitate a two-year transition\nfrom conscription to an all-volunteer military force. An extension of induction\nauthority is required if we are to maintain, in the interim, the size and quality\n(over)\n-2-\nof the armed forces necessary for our Nation's security. The proposed draft\nreforms will enable us to work toward the objective of a zero draft call.\nTo insure a military force adequate to maintain the Nation's security,\na continuation of induction authority is essential. To achieve the goal of\nzero draft calls, passage of the legislative proposals to make military service\nmore attractive and rewarding, as provided by H.R. 6531, is urgently required.\nThe House Republican Policy Committee recommends the passage of H.R. 6531,\nAmending the Military Selective Service Act of 1967."
}