How did the Eagles escape Vietnam?

[OutlawManNJ]

I just started reading the roling stone commemorative issue on the Eagles and came to a thought...they were all active and at the right age in the late 60s....so how did they escape the military and Vietnam. Have they ever talked about that?

[Jeremy Lawrence]

Wow, great question. I remember thinking about that during the HOE doc. Hopefully someone will know.

[NightMistBlue]

Randy had a wife and child to support; Henley was attending college.

Anyone know about Bernie and Glenn?

[buffyfan145]

This is something I've wondered about too for a little while and oddly it was last year's final season of "Mad Men" that did it as some of the characters were getting drafted or signed up and one of the younger characters names oddly was Glen (without the double n). I agree with NMB about Randy and Don. I remember reading Glenn did take college classes so maybe that was a part of it. Have no idea about Bernie, or even Felder, Joe, or Timothy. The draft didn't end till 1973 and they were getting ready to release "Desperado" by then.

[MaryCalifornia]

When Timothy first tried out for Poco, his draft status was up in the air, and that is the (or one of the) reasons they originally went with Randy. Timothy speaks about this in many interviews. However, he was enrolled in college in Sacramento studying psychology, and he did eventually receive a deferral or whatever.

[UndertheWire]

Bernie was in the army reserves and did active duty, mostly in Fort Benning, GA, according to this

I've seen something about Glenn. It was on the lines that once he dropped out of college he became eligible for the draft and that was one of the reasons he had to get out of Michigan. Presumably, he didn't give a forwarding address. It's not clear if he received a draft notice or was just afraid he might.

David Geffen avoided the draft by saying he was homosexual.

ETA:
For once, Yahoo Answers it quite helpful with several men of that age explaining the system. Including:

I knew Glenn back when we were both younger. (pre-Eagles, but he was doing some of his early writing back then) He was registered, but his number never came up.

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/i...8180130AABva9P

[Freypower]

In the Royal Oak bootleg Glenn talks about the statute of limitations having run out so that he could return to his home town (i.e. they could no longer charge him for avoiding the draft).

[Funk 50]

Joe avoided the draft by going to College, claiming "I may be dumb but I aint stupid."
He studied electronics as he thought it'd be helpful to his burgeoning music career. Joe was at Kent State University, no less.

The shootings inspired Turn To Stone

[UndertheWire]

Are there any rock-stars who served in Vietnam? I've tried a google search and very few names come up and they're not people whose names I know.

I've been trying to get an idea of what proportion of young men were conscripted. One source said it was about 7-9% of the draft pool. Others suggest that being poor or black increased the change of being drafted. Then there's the lottery and an age priority. The age priority changed from oldest first to youngest first in 1970, so that probably worked out well for men who were 21/22 in 1969 and 22/23 in 1970.

[captainnemo]

Just thought of this very randomly, but all of the Eagles were eligible for the 1969 Vietnam War draft... I'm curious what their deferments were? I could be wrong, but I don't think a musical career would have qualified for a 2A (essential civilian occupation) deferment. Only Bernie, Randy and Don Felder's birthdays were not chosen.

Henley and Glenn were working with Linda/producing their first albums. Joe was in the James Gang. Timothy was in Poco. Bernie was with the Burritos. Randy was in the Stone Canyon Band and did session work. Don Felder was between Tampa and NYC working in various bands.

Here are their birthdays and draft call number. Anyone beyond #195 was not drafted.

Don Henley - July 22, #153
Glenn - Nov. 6, #76
Joe - Nov. 20, #185
Timothy - Oct. 30, #38
Bernie - July 19, #227
Randy - March 8, #213
Don Felder - Sept. 21, #204