1. You are using incorrect terminology. All males between ages 18 and 35 or 36 were obligated to REGISTER. Within that group, there were no EXEMPTIONS during WWII. Once registered, registrants were then CLASSIFIED, by local draft boards. The CLASSIFICATION 1-A was the highest: acceptable for induction at an early date to be determined. 2. After classification (usually), the registrants had time to submit CLAIMS for DEFERMENT. Various categories got blanket deferments -- such as convicts, mental patients and physically disabled. So clergymen -- who had to prove their status. Deferring meant that, at some future date, the government MIGHT need so many men it could decide to induct convicts, etc. (Keep in mind that the 1940 law -- based in part on the British experience -- provided for drafting into NON-military federal service, as for civil defense work, or involuntary jobs in industry or agriculture or hospitals.) 3. A college student could submit evidence of his enrollment and this was enough to (usually) get a one-semester or one academic year DEFERMENT. As that expired, the board would contact him for new/more evidence or simply send him a Notice to Report for Induction, at a given time and place. If he showed up, he could still ask to extend his deferment. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it did not. He could also take the physical exam, in hopes that he would not pass -- in which case he would get a physical DEFERMENT (like 4-F). There was no entitlement to a four-year deferment, or for rubber-stamping a series of student deferments. 4. BTW HIGH SCHOOL students could be deferred until age 20! For college students, another way "out" was to sign up for aviation cadet programs, the earlier the better. These had a better chance -- though no guarantee -- of lasting until graduation, whereupon one immediately reported for induction and flight school. -----Original Message----- From: worldwar2-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:howardstutt@rogers.com] Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2006 10:24 AM To: World War 2 Subject: [WORLDWAR2] US Exemption WW2 Did US college students automatically receive exemption from call-up even though they had to register with the Draft Board? Howard Ottawa ********************* http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Military:_20th_Century/WORLDWAR2.html ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to WORLDWAR2-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message