A popular belief during the Vietnam War was that you could avoid being inducted by tattooing something obscene like “Fuck the Army” on your saluting hand.
Support (Columbia Draft Information Service, Columbia, S.C.), April 1969, p. 4.
Don Strachan, “ ‘How to’ – the draft and you.” Los Angeles Free Press, vol. 6, issue #255, 6 June 1969, p. 36. “Melvin Lard tattooed ‘Fuck the Army’ on the back of his hand.”
Ben Dover (sic), “fuck you, sir,” Good Times (San Francisco), vol. 2, no. 40, 16 October 1969, p. 17.
Anon., “F.T.A!” [column], The Ally (Berkeley, CA), no. 23, Jan-Feb. 1970, p. 4. “A long-haired, bearded surfer, classified I-A, went to the induction center at Oakland, Calif., a few days ago and flunked his physical. On the outside of his right hand – the saluting one – he had tattooed FUCK THE ARMY.”
The Obligore (New York City), no. 6, April 1970, p. 2. A monthly newsletter published by Marine reservists. “A long-haired, bearded young surfer from the Peninsula, classified 1-A, went to the Oakland Induction Center for his physical a few days ago, and flunked handily, literally. On the outside edge of his right hand – the saluting one – he had tattooed: “F---- the Army.”"
Frank Forster, A Doctor’s Guide to the Draft (New York: Lancer Books, 1970), 134-5. “I must conclude, ludicrous though it seems, that should you have a tattoo made on the back of your left hand reading “Agnew is a prick” or on your right “Fuck the army” – especially should the latter extend along the inner border of your hand so as to be obvious when you salute an officer – you would be excluded from the draft.”
Playboy, May 1970, p. 26.
PLAYBOY AFTER HOURS
Herb Caen reported this neat trick for avoiding the draft in his San Francisco Chronicle column: A long-haired, bearded Californian, classified I-A, went to the Oakland Induction Center and flunked handily. On the back of his right hand -- the saluting one -- he had tattooed: FUCK THE ARMY.
Rolling Stone, 1 October 1970, p. 39.
Tattoo Renaissance
BY AMIE HILL
Every once in a while, [San Francisco tattooist Lyle Tuttle] says, he receives a request for one of those "obscene" tattoos, the "Fuck You" or "Fuck the Army" on the saluting hand which popular fiction says will get you out of the draft. Lyle invariably refuses, not from any excess of hawkish sentiment, but because authorities would just love to bust him and his fellow artists for aiding and abetting a draft-dodger.
“Letters.” Fifth Estate (Detroit), vol. 5, no. 15, Nov. 26-Dec.9, 1970, p. 23.
Abbie Hoffman, Steal This Book (Grove Press, 1971), 192 (photo), 194.
Practice a good story before you go for the physical with someone who has already beat the system. […] If you can't think of anything you can always get FUCK ARMY tattooed on the outside of the baby finger of your right hand and give the tough sergeant a snappy salute and a hearty "yes sir!"
Sherry Gershon Gottlieb, Hell No, We Won’t Go! Resisting the Draft During the Vietnam War. New York: Viking, 1991, 77.
Robert Pollock, Good Luck, Mr Gorsky (Auckland, New Zealand: Reed, 1999), p. 33.
A man received his draft notice, but didn't want to fight. He went to a tattoo parlour and had 'Fuck the army' tattooed on the side of his hand, so that it would be visible when he saluted. It didn't work. They just put him the navy instead. [From Usenet 1997]
No comments:
Post a Comment