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Why didn't Stephen King get drafted? Has he ever said?

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raccoon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 10:59 AM
Original message
Why didn't Stephen King get drafted? Has he ever said?

Maybe he had a student deferment?
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HopeHoops Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 11:01 AM
Response to Original message
1. Anal cysts.
No wait, that was the rush-hole.
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Ineeda Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 11:02 AM
Response to Original message
2. Don't know for sure but
his vision is notoriously bad.
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redqueen Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 11:04 AM
Response to Reply #2
5. I think it was both that
and flat feet that got him rejected.
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Bluzmann57 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 11:02 AM
Response to Original message
3. When was he born?
See, if he was born in 1957 or part of 1958, he didn't even have to register for Selective Service. How do I know? Because that's when I was born and I didn't have to register. Not sure if that's the answer or not, but it may be.
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raccoon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 11:04 AM
Response to Reply #3
4. He was born in 1947--so he'd be very susceptible to the draft. nt
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rfranklin Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 11:06 AM
Response to Reply #4
7. But he may have gotten a high number in the lottery...
I am about the same age and was not so fortunate.
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Octafish Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 11:06 AM
Response to Reply #3
10. Those born in that time period cannot serve on the Draft Board, either.
That's my year of birth, too, Bluzmann57. Fair's Fair: Getting out of having to register for Selective Service means I cannot send someone else into harm's way.
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Johnyawl Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 11:10 AM
Response to Reply #3
12. classified 4-f
Edited on Wed Nov-16-11 11:11 AM by Johnyawl
From his biographical information on his website: "He graduated from the University of Maine at Orono in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums"
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Atman Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 11:11 AM
Response to Reply #3
13. I believe he said he was 64 yo. The odds were in his favor.
Remember, it was a lottery. My bother, now 55, had to register, but the draft was cancelled soon thereafter. I never had to register, born in '59. It is totally plausible that Mr. King's number just never got called before they stopped the draft. I don't think he had enough standing back then to give him a special deferment.
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hifiguy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 11:24 AM
Response to Reply #13
22. I was sweating bullets, but the draft was ended the year I turned 17.
It was a great relief. My dad told me he'd pay my way to Canada if need be.
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southernyankeebelle Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 11:04 AM
Response to Original message
6. During VN if I am not mistake it was towards the end of the conflict that
they started calling up people by number. My brother's number was like at 350. His birthday number could have been high up and he didn't have to go right then.
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Old and In the Way Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 11:13 AM
Original message
I think it was Spring of '72.
I was in the '71 lottery and had to go for my medical due to the # I pulled. But they stopped processing new draftee's shortly after, as I remember.
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The Straight Story Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 11:06 AM
Response to Original message
8. I dunno, but he is working on a sequel to the shining
http://www.imdb.com/news/ni18151664/
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trumad Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 11:06 AM
Response to Original message
9. I think he was writing Carrie at the time.
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raccoon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 12:30 PM
Response to Reply #9
31. Is there a special exemption for that? 4-C? LOL nt
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MilesColtrane Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 11:06 AM
Response to Original message
11. The local draft board classified him as 1-SAF.
(Scary As Fuck)
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pinboy3niner Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 11:26 AM
Response to Reply #11
23. ROFL!
I was thinking 1-TSFTA (Too Scary For The Army). With King in your barracks, who'd be able to sleep?
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MineralMan Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 11:13 AM
Response to Original message
14. Lots of reasons are possible.
Born in 1947? Well, if he had been in college at the usual age, he'd have had a student deferment until the lottery came into effect and drew a high number. That's what happened for my brother. I was born in 1945, and dropped out of college in 1965. It didn't take long for my notice to appear for a physical showed up after that. So, I enlisted in the USAF.

Lots of people didn't get drafted. I'm not sure why the question came up.
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Bluenorthwest Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 11:13 AM
Response to Original message
15. I do not know, but his fiction includes some characters who had
student deferments and thus avoided the draft but not the monster that is war....
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gratuitous Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 11:13 AM
Response to Original message
16. King the writer or King the jerknose congressman?
Sorry to have missed out.
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JohnnyRingo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 11:26 AM
Response to Reply #16
24. Good question...
I read all the comments up to here assuming it was about the frighteningly macabre King. Now you remind me that there are two equally scary Stephen Kings, each on their own accord.

This is why the third best guitar player of all time should sue Rep Joe Walsh to change his name as well. Defamation of character should be a good basis.
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Gormy Cuss Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 11:32 AM
Response to Reply #16
26. +1
The jerknose congressman was born in 1949 and I don't see anything about military service on his bio.
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efhmc Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 11:16 AM
Response to Original message
17. Interesting but weird question. Why the
desire to know? Just sitting around one day and the thought came to you, "Why was S. King never drafted?".
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raccoon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 12:55 PM
Response to Reply #17
33. Yeah, my thoughts in strange places do roam. Plus I just finished 11/22/63.

Will post about that on Fiction later.
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efhmc Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 11:37 PM
Response to Reply #33
42. Okay, just wondering.
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justiceischeap Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 11:19 AM
Response to Original message
18. A little Google searching goes a long way :)
"He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English in 1970, and was rejected by the Vietnam draft board."

http://www.illiterarty.com/biography-stephen-king

"King missed the draft for Vietnam, being declared 4-F, unfit for service, for a number of reasons; perforated eardrums being one of several."
http://h2g2.com/dna/h2g2/A577154
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redqueen Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 11:21 AM
Response to Reply #18
21. Ha, I expected to see a Let Me Google That For You link.
:)
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Greybnk48 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 12:34 PM
Response to Reply #18
32. I've met Stephan King face to face (which I LOVE to brag
about) and his glasses are formidable. I would imagine he would have been 4F because of his vision alone.
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YellowRubberDuckie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 01:06 PM
Response to Reply #32
37. I'd brag about it to.
I love that guy. He's a humanitarian and truly cares about people. He doesn't show off his wealth and I respect that he's not become a douche-nozzle after all of his success.
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Cairycat Donating Member (454 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 11:20 AM
Response to Original message
19. He is extremely myopic
To the extent that he now has macular degeneration because of his extreme near-sightedness. I can't find references, but that's been known for some time.

I don't know if that kept him from being drafted, but it would make sense.
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AngryAmish Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 11:21 AM
Response to Original message
20. didn't he get married early?
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zbdent Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 11:33 AM
Response to Reply #20
28. kind of on both the marriage and his "deferments" ... from Wikipedia ...
"From 1966, King studied English at the University of Maine, graduating in 1970 with a Bachelor of Arts in English. That same year his first daughter, Naomi Rachel, was born."

Sounds to me like he was a serious student ... and married ...

Of course, the conservative blogosphere pounced on him for some comments ...
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wickerwoman Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 11:44 PM
Response to Reply #28
43. Yeah, I think he got married his sophomore year.
His wife is a bit older and was going to graduate. I think I remember reading in "On Writing" that they lived in married student housing.

I'm sure he explained the whole thing in On Writing but I read it too long ago to remember.
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TexasProgresive Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 11:28 AM
Response to Original message
25. According to this article 3 student deferments
drew 308 in the lottery and dropped out of college.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/10/26/913836/-Steve-King,-An-Iowa-Republican-Hypocrite-Sent-To-Plague-America
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madinmaryland Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 11:33 AM
Response to Original message
27. And why is this important to anyone. He is not running for office, the last I checked.
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The Straight Story Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 11:35 AM
Response to Reply #27
29. Ya know, all this time I thought your name was Maidinmaryland
Guess I will have to change my mental imagery of you now :)
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madinmaryland Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 12:59 PM
Response to Reply #29
35. You really gotta stop listening to LynneSin and DrStrange in teh Lounge!!
:D
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Dr. Strange Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 02:41 PM
Response to Reply #35
39. Hush, woman!
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madinmaryland Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 02:47 PM
Response to Reply #39
40. Heh! I thought you had gotten ts'ed for not publishing anymore of your
Tales of WTFery!!

:hi:
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raccoon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 01:07 PM
Response to Reply #27
38. I wish he would. Course it wouldn't help my state. nt
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kestrel91316 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 11:48 AM
Response to Original message
30. Which Stephen King, out the hundreds or thousands of them in the US,
are you referring to?

You better not be picking on the writer. He's a good liberal.
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raccoon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 12:57 PM
Response to Reply #30
34. "He's a good liberal." I know that. nt
Edited on Wed Nov-16-11 01:01 PM by raccoon
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No Joe Donating Member (106 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 01:04 PM
Response to Original message
36. Uh...
whut? :shrug:
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Zorra Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-16-11 03:08 PM
Response to Original message
41. No not a student deferment. A different type of deferment that is none of our business.
And there is absolutely nothing nefarious here.

Going any further would be an unnecessary invasion of his privacy.
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