Carter pardons draft dodgers Jan. 21, 1977

On this day in 1977, President Jimmy Carter, in his first day in office, fulfilled a campaign promise by granting unconditional pardons to hundreds of thousands of men who had evaded the draft during the Vietnam War by fleeing the country or by failing to register.

Gerald Ford, Carter’s predecessor in the White House, offered conditional amnesty to some draft dodgers. Carter, however, seeking to heal the war’s physic wounds, set no conditions, although some individuals were excluded from the blanket pardon.


Thus, military deserters were ineligible. Also excluded were convicted civilian protestors who had engaged in acts of violence.

All in all, about 100,000 Americans went abroad in the late 1960s and early 70s to avoid being called up.

Some 90 percent went to Canada where, after some initial controversy, they were accepted as legal immigrants.

Thousands of others went into hiding within the country, sometimes changing their identities. In addition, about 1,000 military deserters found their way to Canada.

While Canadian authorities at first indicated they would be prosecuted or deported, in practice they were left alone.

Canadian border guards were told not to ask too many questions.

For its part, the U.S. government continued to prosecute draft evaders after the Vietnam War ended. A total of 209,517 men were accused of violating draft laws, while another 360,000 were never formally charged.

Those who had fled to Canada faced prison sentences if they chose to return home. In the end, an estimated 50,000 draft dodgers settled permanently in Canada.

As Canadian citizens, some of them have entered the political scene from the left.

The Carter amnesty generated a good deal of criticism, especially from veterans’ groups.

Although the draft ended in 1973, desertion remains an issue as Americans continue to fight wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.