Food Stamps In Crosshairs Of Republicans' Plan To Save Military

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23. Three million out of a 17 million pool is a high rate of rejection

During WWII, out of 17 Million pool of Draft age men, 3 million were ruled not physical fit to be drafted (please Note the 3 million did NOT include the "limited service personnel," who did not fully meet the Army's specifications but could be used for some duties, that was a different class of draftees):

http://history.amedd.army.mil/booksdocs/wwii/PreventiveMedicine/Chap1.html

I like the following paragraphs is that report:

The examiner's rigid or liberal interpretation of existing standards, shifting with the need to fill a quota, in effect caused these to fluctuate. The most drastic changes in the regulations themselves were those relating to visual acuity and dental requirements. The first MR 1-9 in August 1940 set the minimum dental requirements at a total of 6 masticating teeth and 6 incisor teeth properly opposed. As soon as the first statistics were available, it was discovered that failure to meet these requirements had resulted in rejection of approximately 9 percent of those examined. If that standard had been maintained, it has been estimated that by the end of 1943 nearly 1,000,000 men who were inducted under the liberalized dental standards would have been lost to the service.11 Dental requirements were revised downward, and an extensive reparative program by the Dental Corps initiated, until in October 1942 a man completely edentulous could be inducted if his condition was corrected or correctable by dentures.12

In 1940 minimum visual acuity for general service was set at 20/100 in each eye without glasses, if correctable to 20/40 bilaterally. This was the second most important cause for rejection, and these requirements were progressively lowered. The lowest visual acuity requirements were reached in April 1944,13 when 20/200 in each eye, or 20/100 in one eye and 20/400 in the second eye (if correctable to 20/40 in each eye, 20/30 in the right and 20/70 in the left, or 20/20 in the right and 20/400 in the left), was sufficient for general

Remember we are talking of 18-28 year olds 9% did not have more then 12 teeth!!!!!!!

20/200!!!! that makes you legally BLIND, unless correctable. 20/40 is still the lowest limit you can have and GET A DRIVER"S LICENSE In all the states that I know of.

Remember this is the FIRST LINE TROOPS NOT the Second line nor the 4f draftees

While going through the US Army Medical Department, Office of Medical history I found the following interesting facts:

During WWI 27% of draftees were rejected for Physical problems (Please remember until August 1918, you had to be over age 21 to be drafted, in August the US Congress reduced it to age 18):

http://www.oldmagazinearticles.com/US_Army_1917_Draft_Information

8.8% of all Draftees during WWII was rejected for Dental reason (Lack of at least 12 teeth).
http://history.amedd.army.mil/booksdocs/wwii/dental/ch6.htm

Total medical rejects was 18-20% from 1958-1961:
http://history.amedd.army.mil/booksdocs/AnnualReportoftheSG1961/table8.pdf