Last draftee finally released after 42 years

[nawilson]

The last draftee in the US Army has finally been released. After 42 years of service, CW5 Ralph Rigby has retired from the Army (and been promoted to PFC... if you've been in, you should know what that means ).

I have known a few Vietnam era guys in my time, but they have all since moved on. Now, I suppose they really all have.

Last continuously serving draftee retires after 42 years of service | Article | The United States Army.

 

[Papa32129]

Nice story, thanks for sharing it.


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[Kinman]

While serving in the Army I had the priviledge to serve with three Chief Warrant Officers, one was skipper of an LCU I was briefly stationed on while in Virginia, another was assigned Harbormaster of DaNang where I served as a radio operator, the last ran the motor pool where I was stationed as parts specialist in Germany. All three were intelligent gentlemen that had an uncanny way of motivating people to do their best and getting the mission accomplished with the least amount of b.s. Of all the men I served under those three guys still remain at the top my very short list of people that I respected while serving 3 years and 8 months in the US Army. Not to say that I did not respect my fellow soldier, I'm just saying those men were in leadership positions and actually seemed to know what they were doing. As my dad would put it, they were guys that could have made it on the outside...which was high praise coming from him, he did not have very much respect for career military people and was of the opinion that the military was like welfare for men, unless there was a real war going on.

 

[rwsmith]

On first reading your title...

Using the word 'released' made me think he was the last draft dodger still in the brig. I thought they were pardoned years ago.

 

[twobit601]

We would be proud to welcome him into the Texas State Guard should he choose to move down here.

 

[H Richard]

A CW5 carries a lot of respect and even Generals share salutes with a CW5. When I was in the USAF in 1960 there was a CW4 in charge of our tool room. Any time one of us enlisted mechanics stopped by he would tell the supply Sargent to go get a cup of coffee, then he would open the tool crib and let us pick out whatever tools we needed to get our jobs done, without any paperwork.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

My son was a Blackhawk mechanic, and later crew chief, in 2003-2007. In Iraq, one of the pilots was a CW5, left over from Vietnam. He would keep the youngsters awake at night with stories of chopper crews ordered to hold hilltops until relief arrived. My son's troop ferried division and corp command around and didn't see many hostiles. Ivan

 

[max]

He went in the year after I got out. I salute him for his long and proud service.

 

[Alk8944]

42 years! He is extremely lucky, or blessed, to have retained his health long enough to be accepted for re-enlistment that many times. Just to be clear, he ceased to be a "Draftee" (US) at his first re-enlistment when he became "Regular Army" (RA). He reached a mile-post that very, very few ever reach in military service, I would feel privileged to know him as friend!

 

[nawilson]

42 years! He is extremely lucky, or blessed, to have retained his health long enough to be accepted for re-enlistment that many times. Just to be clear, he ceased to be a "Draftee" (US) at his first re-enlistment when he became "Regular Army" (RA). He reached a mile-post that very, very few ever reach in military service, I would feel privileged to know him as friend!

Out of curiosity, did draftees have an RA service number?

 

[Cyrano]

No, they had a US service number.

 

[Malpasowildlifer]

wow, thanks for sharing

 

[gunfighter48]

RAs were enlistees. I joined in Nov. 1967 and got out in Nov. 1970. Was Army signal corp doing R&D work on Satellite ground station equipment. I have two service numbers my RA (which I still remember by heart) and the Army switched to SSI numbers just before I got out.

With his retirement the Army is finally an ALL volunteer Army!!!!!!! May God watch over and protect him in the years to come. He's earned that much and more!