Did other public figures use bone spur claims to evade service?
Executive summary
Medical and student deferments were common ways people avoided Vietnam-era conscription; public figures who used medical claims include Donald Trump (bone spurs) and Joe Biden (asthma) according to contemporary summaries and histories [1] [2]. Reporting and later testimony dispute whether Trump’s heel-spur diagnosis was medically warranted or arranged as a favor; his campaign and records cite deferments and a high lottery number, while New York Times reporting and statements from the diagnosing doctor’s family say the diagnosis may have been a courtesy, and his former lawyer has testified he saw no medical records [2] [3] [4].
1. Draft avoidance was widespread — medical and student exemptions were routine
Histories of the Vietnam draft show that deferments for college enrollment and medical conditions were standard features of the Selective Service system and a common route used to avoid frontline service; summaries of the era note politicians among those criticized for using such deferments [1] [5].
2. Public figures named in contemporary accounts: Trump and Biden
Mainstream summaries and retrospectives list both Donald Trump and Joe Biden as having avoided active service via a mix of student deferments and medical exemptions — the commonly cited specifics are “bone spurs” for Trump and “asthma” for Biden [1] [2].
3. The Trump bone‑spur case: facts reported and competing narratives
Records and reporting describe a sequence where Trump received college (2-S) deferments, a high draft‑lottery number, classification changes, and ultimately a medical diagnosis of heel bone spurs that produced a 4‑F deferment [2] [5]. The New York Times reporting cited by later outlets said the foot doctor’s family told reporters he provided the diagnosis as a favor to Trump’s father [3]. Trump’s campaign points to the lottery outcome and the medical classification to explain his non‑service [6] [2].
4. Challenges to the medical claim: testimony and fact‑checks
Multiple outlets and witnesses have raised doubts. Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer, testified he never saw medical records and said Trump “made up medical issues” to avoid the draft [4]. Fact‑checking and investigative reporting note a lack of produced medical documentation and question whether the diagnosis was genuine or arranged [2] [3].
5. Other public figures and the broader pattern: what sources say and don’t
Sources expressly mention Biden alongside Trump as public figures who used deferments [1]. Beyond those two, available sources in this packet do not catalogue other named public figures who invoked “bone spurs” specifically; broader histories refer to many individuals using medical deferments but do not list additional prominent examples of the exact same bone‑spur claim in these search results [1] [5]. Not found in current reporting: a verified, sourced list of other well‑known public figures who used the identical “bone spurs” diagnosis to evade service.
6. Political context: accusations, mockery and campaigning over deferments
The bone‑spur story became a political cudgel: campaigns and commentators used it to question patriotism and fairness, and opponents mocked the incongruity between athletic college life and later medical exemptions [6] [7]. Campaign releases and ads have highlighted these inconsistencies and questioned whether deferments were fairly obtained [6].
7. How to weigh the evidence: records, testimony, and gaps
Available documentation shows classification changes, a high lottery number, and a medical deferment on Trump’s record [2] [5]. Reporting from the New York Times and statements by the diagnosing doctor’s family point to a possible favor; Cohen’s testimony emphasizes a lack of produced medical records [3] [4]. These competing accounts mean the historical record combines documentary administrative facts with contested explanations about motive and medical legitimacy [2] [3] [4].
8. Bottom line for readers seeking clarity
Confirmed by multiple sources: student and medical deferments were used by prominent figures in the Vietnam era, and Trump’s draft record shows a bone‑spur deferment alongside high lottery placement [1] [2]. Sources disagree over whether that diagnosis was medically merited or obtained as a favor; reporting from the New York Times (as cited) and testimony from a former lawyer say the diagnosis was potentially arranged and that medical records were not produced [3] [4]. Available sources do not mention a verified list of other public figures who used the exact “bone spur” claim beyond the cases cited here [1] [8].
Limitations: this analysis uses only the provided sources; additional archival records, original medical files, or new investigative reporting could alter the judgment but are not included in the current packet.