Which famous figures received draft deferments or exemptions during major wars and what were the stated reasons?

1. Student deferments: the largest legal pathway during Vietnam

From the World War II era through Vietnam, attending college or graduate school was a widely used legal path to postponement; the Selective Service historically granted student deferments and these swelled during the Baby Boom, prompting controversy and reform that curtailed broad student deferments in 1971 ^{[1] [2]}. Journalists and historians tie the unequal burden of conscription to such deferments — wealthier or better-connected young men were more likely to remain in school and avoid frontline service ^{[4] [5]}.

2. Medical and physical classifications: 4‑F and similar exemptions

Medical unfitness classifications (like 4‑F in U.S. practice) removed people from service; many famous people claim or were recorded as having medical exemptions — for example, sources list entertainers and musicians given 4‑F status or failing physicals for various health reasons ^{[6] [2]}. Medical exemptions could be legitimate or contested; reporting notes cases where health claims later attracted skepticism, illustrating how medical paperwork became a fault line of public debate ^{[6] [7]}.

3. “Support of national interest” and political intervention

Governments and institutions sometimes intervened to keep prominent cultural figures out of uniform because their work was treated as valuable to morale or propaganda. Military.com documents John Wayne being reclassified from fit-for-duty to a deferred status because Hollywood and U.S. authorities argued his star power supported national interest ^[3]. Such exceptions drew resentment from veterans and the public, showing how classification decisions included political judgments, not only medical ones ^{[3] [7]}.

4. Conscientious objection and religious exemptions

Religious or moral conscience claims provide another legal avenue for avoiding combatant service; Selective Service frameworks include processes for conscientious-objector classification and ministerial student deferments ^{[8] [9]}. Coverage shows religious exemptions and ministerial training were formal deferment categories, though their use and public acceptance varied across wars and eras ^{[8] [9]}.

5. Accusations and politics: high-profile politicians and public scrutiny

Several politicians and presidential figures have faced public accusations of improperly avoiding service; sources list names such as George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Bill Clinton, Donald Trump and Mitt Romney as having faced criticism or questions about deferments, with opponents highlighting deferment types like student status or high lottery numbers ^[4]. Reporting emphasizes that political opponents frequently raise draft histories as a campaign issue, while available documentation and interpretations often differ ^[4].

6. Non‑U.S. contexts and modern parallels

Elsewhere, student and medical deferments remain common routes to avoid conscription; reporting on Russia and South Korea shows students, those with chronic illnesses, and people with dual passports use formal exemptions, and authorities sometimes tighten rules to reduce perceived evasion ^{[10] [11]}. Contemporary debates over electronic registries or year‑round conscription proposals highlight the ongoing tension between formal rules and public perceptions of fairness ^{[10] [12]}.

7. How the system changed and why it mattered

In the United States, the lottery reforms of 1969 and the end of broad student deferments in 1971 reduced the ability of some groups to avoid service; the draft itself ended in 1973 and the Selective Service remains a contingency mechanism, with classification only active if a draft is reinstated ^{[2] [1]}. Analysts and activists argue that past deferment patterns shaped trust in institutions and perceptions of who bears wartime burdens — an implicit political and social consequence repeatedly surfaced in reporting ^{[1] [5]}.

8. Limitations and what reporting does not say

Available sources enumerate many famous names and deferment categories but do not provide a comprehensive, source‑verified list of every celebrity or politician who received a specific deferment with primary documentation; where sources dispute motivations (medical vs. privileged access), reporting sometimes relies on secondary accounts or later political claims ^{[4] [3]}. For any individual case you want checked, current reporting may or may not include contemporaneous draft‑board records — available sources do not mention exhaustive primary‑record proof for every high‑profile claim.

If you’d like, I can check specific individuals from your list against the available sources above and summarize the cited reasons and the primary sources (where present) for each.