Posted: 2/4/2003 6:13:57 PM EDT
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[b]Claim:[/b] A few years after a couple of kids used a made-up name to sign up for a free yearly ice cream cone, they received a draft notice for their non-existent friend. [b]Status:[/b] [red]True[/red]. [b]Origins:[/b] In 1984, a Palo Alto, California, family received a Selective Services reminder that it was almost time for Johnny Klomberg to register for the draft. Problem was, there was no Johnny Klomberg living at that address. Or anywhere else. He was purely the fictional invention of the two boys who did live there, Eric and Greg Hentzel. To remind them to register for the draft, Selective Service had been tracking down young men through commercial mailing lists. They got caught out at this practice when they sent such an invitation to a fictional kid who'd been dreamed up by a couple of young Dillingers whose dad was an ex-Serviceman, a lawyer, and not amused. He didn't think it right that a kids' "free ice cream" list should be turned into a Selective Service name harvesting opportunity. I don't either. Young men had to register for the draft within 30 days of their 18th birthday. Selective Service tried to trace those who have not done so through driver's license records and, sometimes, Social Security cards and the Internal Revenue Service. Failing to register was punishable by a maximum $10,000 fine, up to five years in jail, or both. Fair enough. But using a kids' birthday club list? Selective Service didn't see anything wrong with what they were doing. "We do everything we can to get every 18-year-old to register," said Will Ebel, their director of public affairs. "Our concern is equity. If your son registers, the guy who lives across the street who is 18 should have to register too." That's all well and good, but news of an ice cream parlor's birthday club mailing list being used for such recruitment struck a number of people as plain wrong. Seven years earlier the Hentzel brothers dreamed up Johnny in an effort to weasel free frozen treats out of the local ice cream parlor. Farrell's birthday club rewarded its members with a free sundae on their special day. It was but a matter of filling out a form with name, address and date of birth -- a Farrell's invitation for the annual free treat would arrive through the mail at the appropriate time. Magic, the Hentzel boys thought. Also too good an opportunity to pass up on. "We made up really phony names and put different birthdays on but our own address," said Eric. Which is how Johnny Klomberg's Selective Service notice ended up arriving at their house. Their bit of childhood perfidy uncovered what the government had been up to. Selective Service was forced to acknowledge that in 1983 it paid a mailing list broker $5,687 for 167,000 names of other birthday club boys who would be 18 that year so that it could remind them to register. Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor Restaurant, a large national chain, was "outraged" to discover its list has been passed to the government without permission. The restaurant had kept a list of the children's names and addresses so it could mail out "free ice cream" invites to those signed up on it. It also sometimes rented its list through a direct mail broker. (Mailing lists are rented or traded between various businesses as a matter of due course. The standard agreement provides for the payment of a fee or a list swap in return for the one-time use of the names; each additional mailing using those names generates another fee or swap due. All rentals and trades have to be agreed to by both parties. Which brings us back to Farrell's "outrage" -- they'd never agreed to this use of their list.) [url=http://www.snopes.com/military/icecream.htm]Full Story[/url] |
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I registered with Selective Service on my 18th BD. Almost 10 years later, I received a nasty gram from the Selective Service threatening to withhold my Social Security retirement benefits, fine me, and toss me in jail if I did not register. The letter was addressed to: Sgt David Peacher Marine Security Forces Battalion, Pacific CSTSC Mare Island Vallejo, CA What a bunch of shitheads! |
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I tried joining the Army when I was 17. Was almost in, but I was too fat for boot camp. I only had to lose 40 lousy lbs, but instead I said f-it. I also decided that I wasn't going to register to possibly be drafted into a service that wouldn't let me enlist. ...Well, when I was 24 or 25 I decided to go to college. I was working at a grocery store, and couldn't quite foot the whole bill. I caved in and registered so I could get financial aid. Oh well, they never threw me in jail or anything. |
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Quoted: I registered with Selective Service on my 18th BD. Almost 10 years later, I received a nasty gram from the Selective Service threatening to withhold my Social Security retirement benefits, fine me, and toss me in jail if I did not register. The letter was addressed to: Sgt David Peacher Marine Security Forces Battalion, Pacific CSTSC Mare Island Vallejo, CA [LOL] [ROFL] That's hilarious! Since I entered the service at the age of 17, I never registered. 4 years later (21) I was contacted by the Selective Service via mail - the card had a number on it so, I called. I told the lady what my name was and that I absolutely refuse to sign up for the selective service - I hung up on her. I was hoping to hear something back, but never did. |
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Quoted: I also decided that I wasn't going to register to possibly be drafted into a service that wouldn't let me enlist. I tried that. I registered, and was then rejected twice by the Naval Academy because of my eyesight (they didn't tell me why the first time, some O-3 told me to reapply while knowing why I was turned down. Ass hole.) Anyway, since I was working my ass off at RIT, my dad handled one of the many phone calls back and forth to various Navy folks trying to find ways around regulations and stuff. Anything to get me in some sort of service(he did a couple because a)I was busy b)I'm not nice on the phone when I'm angry and confused). Paraphrased: Dad:"So he can never enlist in the service? O-6 or 7: "That's about the size of it." Dad: "The funny thing is, we have the same eyesight even from when I was 18, and when I had his vision the Army did it's damnedest to draft me" Ossifer: "Oh, he can still be drafted." Dad: "Excuse me?" O: "His vision disqualifies him from service unless theirs a need." Dad: "How do I get him off the selective service roll, then? O: "You can't" Dad: "So my son's eyesight isn't good enough to go to the Academy, but it's good enough to fill a body bag?" *silence I laughed. A friend told me to go start a war. |
| My high school does that. All they do is look at student records, record whose about to turn 18 within 30 days and send a faculty member with the card and to explain Selective Service. They tell you to fill the card and mail it. Couple weeks later, I got the registration acknowldgement card. |
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I filled out the SS form at 18 also..I was the 1st year to do it when it was reinstated. In 1990 I was working for the Feds and needed a security clearance. The investigating agency wanted my SS number. I had to call the SS office and get my number..I thought because I was older than draft age, that they deleted all the records..Check it out..I was 30 years old and they STILL had my name and number... I'll bet it's STILL there! |
| attending a TAP (transition assistance program) before retiring into the civilian world, we were slightly amused when the lecturer advised us to make sure we were registered with SS or we would find it difficult to get a job after the military. it took a lot of collective willpower for us not to kick the idiot in the nuts. |
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I registered with Selective Service on my 18th BD. Almost 10 years later, I received a nasty gram from the Selective Service threatening to withhold my Social Security retirement benefits, fine me, and toss me in jail if I did not register. The letter was addressed to: Sgt David Peacher Marine Security Forces Battalion, Pacific CSTSC Mare Island Vallejo, CA What a bunch of shitheads! That has to be one of the funniest things I've heard in a long time. Talk about a beaurocrat just going through the motions. Do they really lock people up for not registering?I also heard some other B.S. that you can`t buy a gun either.True? Edited for spelling 223Spree Past experience has shown they will get around to you eventually and if there is a draft, take one guess who goes first. |
| I received my initial letter to register while I was a midshipman at USNA. Wrote back and told them that I was currently on active duty. Got a follow up while in flight school. Made a phone call on this one and the SS folks said that registration was mandatory whether on active duty or not. I guess if you got out before your draft eligiblity was up and the need arose they could come and get you. Still have never signed up. |
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I got a nasty gram a few weeks after I entered Marine Corps DEP. Dumb fucks oughta check the rosters at MEPS. I filled out the card, mailed it in and joined the Army. I had a buddy who's brother was a Navy Nuke, he got a letter from a recruiter while on a boat! Duh! Ya think there's a chance you're a little late? |