Congress Adjusts Military Draft Age (1942)
On November 11, 1942, the draft age was lowered by Congress to 18, and the age limit was raised to age 37.
Prior to this date in 1940, Congress imposed the first peacetime draft through the Burke-Wadsworth Act. Men between the ages of 21 and 36 were required to register. Out of approximately 20 million eligible men in that age group, approximately half were rejected due to health reasons or illiteracy.
After the United States entered World War II, Congress felt the need to expand the ages of men eligible for the draft. On November 11, 1942, the age range was expanded from 21-36 to 18-37. By the end of World War II, 34 million men had registered, and approximately 10 million had entered into American military forces.