Ted Nugent, VOCAL DEFENDER OF FREEDOM, Also Dodged The Draft During Vietnam

Rob Fox11 years ago

Ted Nugent is well known for his outspoken defense of the U.S. Constitution, specifically the Second Amendment. Some might call his outspokenness exuberance or enthusiasm, others call it radical or retarded. Personally, I think the guy is an attention starved asshole who, even if his heart is in the right place, needs to shut up because he makes rational Second Amendment proponents look bad.

It turns out though, that Ted Nugent, DEFENDER OF CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS AND AMERICAN FREEDOM, is actually a hypocritical, loud-mouthed, fuckstick who uses the troops, the flag, and the Second Amendment to boost his own popularity. So you’re on the side of freedom, Ted? Then please, if you will, explain this:

The 64-year-old musician, now a vocal gun advocate and member of the National Rifle Association’s board of directors, avoided toting around an M14 thanks to a series of military deferments that allowed him to dodge the draft, according to Selective Service System records.

…

In August 1969, Nugent took his draft physical and was rejected for service. He was classified as 1-Y, indicating that he was qualified for service only in time of a national emergency. The 1-Y classification was usually issued to candidates saddled with significant medical or mental issues.

In interviews, Nugent has provided varying accounts of how he avoided a seat on a troop transport to Southeast Asia. In a 1977 High Times interview, he claimed to have stopped bathing a month before his draft physical, adding that he showed up for the exam with pants “crusted” with urine and feces. “I was a walking, talking hunk of human poop,” recalled Nugent.

No, Ted, I think what you meant to say is that you were, and are, a giant piece of shit.

Nugent also admitted to taking meth so as to further harm his body in his ultimately successful attempt to fail the draft physical.

Nugent took the pants-shitting, meth-snorting route, which might be third only to shooting yourself in the foot and fleeing to Canada on the scale of “How Big of An American Pussy Am I?” after running out of all other options to avoid the draft. He was first deferred thanks to high school and college enrollment, both of which are obvious and acceptable reasons to be excluded from the draft. However at this point it’s debatable that Nugent enrolled in college, a junior college by the way, for any other reason than to avoid the draft.

Five weeks after the exam, Nugent received his 1-Y deferment on October 7, 1969. Nugent’s 1-Y deferment remained in effect until 1972, when the classification was abolished. He was then reclassified as 4-F, which covered registrants not qualified for military service.

In his High Times interview, Nugent recalled his glee at evading the chance to defend his country (though he mixed up the 1-Y and 4-F deferments). “And in the mail I got this big juicy 4-F,” he said. “They’d call dead people before they’d call my ass.”

Nugent fondly, proudly even, recalls the time he actively avoided fighting for the country he supposedly loves so much. That’s not at all appalling. But hey, at least he waves his flag really hard. That’s got to count for something, right? No? Yeah, I figured. Oh Ted you shameless dickbag.

I honestly don’t know what to say other than, “Fuck you Ted Nugent.” You are a phony to the highest degree, though it shouldn’t surprise anyone that those who shout the loudest are often the most fraudulent.

I understand that Vietnam was not a popular war, and that being a musician (or aspiring musician) meant you probably ran with quite the liberal, anti-war crowd in those days, but does that excuse this nearly unfathomable level of hypocrisy? Absolutely not. People can change, and maybe Nugent has, but be known for and more importantly profit from your patriotism and love of country while keeping this secret tucked away is absolutely disgusting.

Ted Nugent. What an asshole.

[via The Smoking Gun]