# How were WW2 draftees assigned their branches of military service? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 25, 2007, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-were-ww2-draftees-assigned-their-branches-of-military-service/405521 "2007-05-25T18:51:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2007, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-were-ww2-draftees-assigned-their-branches-of-military-service/405521/1 "2007-05-25T18:51:58Z")
Particularly in the U.S., but also the U.K., Germany, Soviet Union and Japan, if you know. I assume if you volunteered before you were drafted, you got to choose your branch. Otherwise, could you express a preference when drafted, did IQ ratings, prior civilian skills etc. determine placement, or was there a formula of some kind (the Army got 3/5 of all draftees, the Navy 1/5, the Marines 1/5, or the like)? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2007, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-were-ww2-draftees-assigned-their-branches-of-military-service/405521/2 "2007-05-25T19:02:21Z")
For the most part, they went down a long line of guys at the induction station going “Army, Army, Navy, Marines,” or something to that effect. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2007, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-were-ww2-draftees-assigned-their-branches-of-military-service/405521/3 "2007-05-25T19:22:34Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Moto] For the most part, they went down a long line of guys at the induction station going “Army, Army, Navy, Marines,” or something to that effect. [/QUOTE] Based on… height? Hair color? Something else? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2007, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-were-ww2-draftees-assigned-their-branches-of-military-service/405521/4 "2007-05-25T19:33:12Z")
If you were smart enough to tie your own shoes - Navy. If you got at least one of the shoes tied - Army ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2007, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-were-ww2-draftees-assigned-their-branches-of-military-service/405521/5 "2007-05-25T19:34:38Z")
Based on where you were standing in line. Attitudes at that time tended to assume you could make a sailor, soldier or Marine out of anyone, assuming they were fit to be in the military at all. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2007, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-were-ww2-draftees-assigned-their-branches-of-military-service/405521/6 "2007-05-25T19:36:09Z")
My dad was drafted into WWII. He’s dead. I just called my MOM and her memory is that he was asked if he could swim, and he said no. So the Army. I know this is only anecdotal. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2007, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-were-ww2-draftees-assigned-their-branches-of-military-service/405521/7 "2007-05-25T19:39:07Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Moto] Based on where you were standing in line. Attitudes at that time tended to assume you could make a sailor, soldier or Marine out of anyone, assuming they were fit to be in the military at all. [/QUOTE] If so, what was the ratio used? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2007, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-were-ww2-draftees-assigned-their-branches-of-military-service/405521/8 "2007-05-25T19:39:17Z")
Backs up lots of other stories I’ve heard. I think what it boils down to is that it wasn’t a system that was terribly rigorous, or that relied a lot on aptitude testing. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2007, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-were-ww2-draftees-assigned-their-branches-of-military-service/405521/9 "2007-05-25T19:42:13Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] If so, what was the ratio used? [/QUOTE] I don’t know, although if I had to guess I would assume this would have changed over time as well, as casualty rates and buildup rates between the Navy, Army and Marines did not keep up with each other at all. They shifted according to the different battles they were involved in on multiple fronts. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2007, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-were-ww2-draftees-assigned-their-branches-of-military-service/405521/10 "2007-05-25T20:31:49Z")
Marines were all-volunteer, except for a **very** brief period in WW2. And aviation in WW2 was based on volunteerism, test scores & education. ---
**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2007, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-were-ww2-draftees-assigned-their-branches-of-military-service/405521/11 "2007-05-25T20:39:47Z")
Not exactly what the OP asks for, but here are some interesring stats.: Total number of inductees for WWII (1940-1946) including draftees before Pearl Harbor 10,110,114 By Year: 1940 - 18,633 1941 - 923,842 1942 - 3,033,361 1943 - 3,323,970 1944 - 1,591,942 1945 - 945,862 1946 - 183,383 From here: [http://www.rootsweb.com/~miisabel/militaryWWII.htm](http://www.rootsweb.com/~miisabel/militaryWWII.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2007, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-were-ww2-draftees-assigned-their-branches-of-military-service/405521/12 "2007-05-25T20:47:32Z")
My dad was in the Navy group. He has somehow talked to folks in the draft board before hand so he was sure of that beforehand. Once the group was assembled, some Marines came in and chose 3-4 men out of the group of 50. The men chosen didn’t have a choice and they didn’t look pleased. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2007, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-were-ww2-draftees-assigned-their-branches-of-military-service/405521/13 "2007-05-25T21:37:01Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] If you were smart enough to tie your own shoes - Navy. If you got at least one of the shoes tied - Army [/QUOTE] And if you could beat up another guy and take \*his \* shoes–Marine Corps. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2007, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-were-ww2-draftees-assigned-their-branches-of-military-service/405521/14 "2007-05-25T22:34:46Z")
IIRC, for the US: During a shooting war, the draftee board picked which service you went into, based on the quotas given to them by the Pentagon and various Bureau(s) of Personnel. The Pentagon sets its numbers by what Congress funded. (As Congress authorizes and funds the creation of an Army division, or a ship being built, and so on.) They know that each command type needed x number of x MOS, and assigned people as needed, as well as ensuring that sufficient replacements are sent to the units that need them. The USA did not suffer the manpower shortage that the late war German and Japanese militaries did… Some types of service remained volunteer only, presumedly to weed out the folks who “had attitude problems” because of being drafted. In WW2, these services included the submarine service and para-infantry, for example. (And probably combat pilots, I am a little hazy on that, though.) The draftee is told to report to the Induction Station at a given date and time. When he gets there, he will be told which boot camp he’s going to. “Congratulations, son. Your going into the Marine Corps. Semper Fi.” He goes through basic training, and is then told which branch of the Marines he is going into. “Congratulations, son. Your going into Artillery.” After completing his MOS school, he is assigned to his final unit. “Congratulations, son. Your going to the 1142nd Artillery Regiment, out of Camp Pendleton.” The military has procedures set up for folks to request transfers to different units, but the needs of the service typically carry greater weight with the officers and beaurecrats in charge of approving/disproving the transfer requests. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2007, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-were-ww2-draftees-assigned-their-branches-of-military-service/405521/15 "2007-05-25T23:23:57Z")
[QUOTE=samclem] My dad was drafted into WWII. He’s dead. I just called my MOM and her memory is that he was asked if he could swim, and he said no. So the Army. I know this is only anecdotal. [/QUOTE] This is the only one that makes sense so far. (although I don’t know how they chose the ones that went to the Air Force if nobody could fly). Sending landlubbers to sea seems like a certain way to lose a war (which we know didn’t happen) ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2007, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-were-ww2-draftees-assigned-their-branches-of-military-service/405521/16 "2007-05-25T23:29:41Z")
[QUOTE=Sapo] This is the only one that makes sense so far. (although I don’t know how they chose the ones that went to the Air Force if nobody could fly). Sending landlubbers to sea seems like a certain way to lose a war (which we know didn’t happen) [/QUOTE] During WWII the Air Force was still part of the Army. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2007, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-were-ww2-draftees-assigned-their-branches-of-military-service/405521/17 "2007-05-25T23:33:46Z")
Here is [the experience of a WWII draftee](http://www.gallagher.com/ww2/chapter2.html) when he reported to his draft board for induction: > [@](#): > > We were tested for about three hours; most of the time was spent waiting in lines. The waiting was an introduction to what we would do hundreds of times in the future. Near the end, they asked us which branch of the service we wanted, Army or Navy. I said Army, but for some reason, they stamped my papers “Navy.” I didn’t notice it at the time. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2007, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-were-ww2-draftees-assigned-their-branches-of-military-service/405521/18 "2007-05-25T23:43:11Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] > [@](#): > > We were tested for about three hours; most of the time was spent waiting in lines. The waiting was an introduction to what we would do hundreds of times in the future. Near the end, they asked us which branch of the service we wanted, Army or Navy. I said Army, but for some reason, they stamped my papers “Navy.” I didn’t notice it at the time. [/quote] Ah, yes. The old “hurry up and wait” training. As a civilian, we can get a taste at the local Department of Motor Vehicles. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2007, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-were-ww2-draftees-assigned-their-branches-of-military-service/405521/19 "2007-05-25T23:45:01Z")
[QUOTE=alphaboi867] During WWII the Air Force was still part of the Army. [/QUOTE] And IIRmy father’s stories correctly, all pilots were volunteers. The support people may have been told what they were going to do and when, but the pilots had to volunteer for flight training, in addition to passing a rather rigorous physical. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2007, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-were-ww2-draftees-assigned-their-branches-of-military-service/405521/20 "2007-05-26T02:02:17Z")
I’m not sure the navy took draftees until quite late in the war and the marines even later. As I recall, the existence of the draft was sufficient to result in adequate enlistment in the navy and there weren’t all that many marines so volunteer numbers were adequate. According to several Google sources the marine corps only got as high as just over 400000 by early 1944.. In fact, draft boards complained that enlistments were making it difficult for them to make their quotas so the system was changed, I think in 1943. If you wanted to choose your service you went to your draft board and volunteered to be drafted. It was referred to as voluntary induction and you could be voluntarily inducted into the branch of your choice. If you waited for involuntary induction you had virtually a 100% chance of going into the army. Unhappily, within the army at least, even voluntary inductees were subject to the exigencies of service needs. Late in the war the army didn’t need all of the pilots, navigators and bombardiers in training and the army was short of riflement so … > [@silenus](#): > > And IIRmy father’s stories correctly, all pilots were volunteers. And so were navigators and bombardiers. You enlisted as an aviation cadet. After a period of college training you went to a classification center where you were classified as pilot, navigator or bambardier based on a series of tests. and, of course, the needs of the army for trainees in the three categories. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-were-ww2-draftees-assigned-their-branches-of-military-service/405521.md?page=2)