Draft Responses
Student opinions on the draft and military were not monolithic, of course, and there was significant variation in attitudes toward both. At the time, Puget Sound had an Air Force ROTC program which trained students who were interested in a military career in the skills needed to be an officer in the Air Force. The fact that the program was both fairly successful and highly publicized indicates the level of support it enjoyed on campus. On the flip side, however, there were students who were adamantly opposed to all forms of militarism, with some even believing that the military should be abolished. Some of these students openly stated that, in the event that they were drafted, they would refuse to comply. Furthermore, at least one military recruitment event on campus was protested by anti-war activists. [A&SC 31].
Interestingly, The Trail, in its May 10, 1968 issue, made passing mention of an "anti-ROTC petition," suggesting increasingly widespread opposition on campus to military associations [A&SC 32]. In light of the increasingly liberal stance of the campus community on race, it is likely that opposition to the increasingly-costly Vietnam War, and the mechanisms seen as enabling it, was another aspect of a growing liberal activism on campus."I have no feelings against doing my duty, just because you don't understand a conflict doesn't mean that you shouldn't do your part. I feel my duty is to serve in the armed forces, others may feel their duty is to protest". [A&SC 31].
