Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Contact    |    RSS icon Twitter icon Facebook icon  
Unexplained Mysteries
You are viewing: Home > News > World of the Bizarre > News story
Welcome Guest ( Login or Register )  
All ▾
Search Submit

World of the Bizarre

US military drafts 14,000 dead people

By T.K. Randall
July 12, 2014 · Comment icon 25 comments

Many of the recipients were deceased WW1 veterans. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0 Gerrit
A computer error lead to thousands of conscription letters being mailed out to men born in the 1800s.
The error, which was related to the Y2K bug, saw thousands of conscription letters being sent out from the US Selective Service System to the families of men who had died several decades ago.

The letters insisted that the men register for the US military or face a hefty fine and imprisonment. Shocked relatives, such as 73-year-old Chuck Huey whose grandfather had died in 1995 at the age of 100, couldn't believe their eyes when the letters arrived.
"It said he was subject to heavy fines and imprisonment if he didn't sign up for the draft board," he said. "We were just totally dumbfounded."

The error was eventually traced to the Pennsylvania department of transportation where a clerk had failed to enter a century during a transfer of more than 400,000 records, prompting the system to identify 27,218 men born in the 1800s who it deemed to be applicable for a conscription notice.

"Selective Service regrets any inconvenience caused the families of these men and assures them that the error has been corrected and no action is required on their part," the service wrote on its website.

Source: The Guardian | Comments (25)




Other news and articles
Recent comments on this story
Comment icon #16 Posted by and then 10 years ago
quite, quite, but you still have to register for selective service. Which isn't what the OP states. It says "attempts to draft" doesn't it now? Seriously though, I'm aware about selective service because it was my age group that was the cutoff when it started up again in the late 70's. Those born in 1960 or onward were required to sign or risk problems.
Comment icon #17 Posted by rufo32 10 years ago
The Zombie apocalypse must be starting and the government plans to draft their own army of Zombies.
Comment icon #18 Posted by Mr. ET 10 years ago
Aww to late for the necromancy joke.lol
Comment icon #19 Posted by DieChecker 10 years ago
Obama the necromancer. . QUICK!! Call Gandalf!! (Hobbit 3 movie plug)
Comment icon #20 Posted by toyomotor 10 years ago
You guys DO realize there hasn't been a draft since the 70-'s, right? Attention to detail! That you know of. It could be a carefully guarded secret-who knows?
Comment icon #21 Posted by :PsYKoTiC:BeHAvIoR: 10 years ago
The Zombie apocalypse must be starting and the government plans to draft their own army of Zombies.
Comment icon #22 Posted by Calibeliever 10 years ago
Hilarious
Comment icon #23 Posted by Silent Trinity 10 years ago
That is a funny glitch in the system... Almost as funny as a couple over here in England who were sent a notice from the local police saying they wanted to discuss an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) they wanted to impose on their child for bad behaviour.... Problem was there only child was still in the womb and would not be born for another few weeks.... Here is an artuicle on that anyway lol http://www.bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/home/2011/04/baby-slapped-with-an-asbo.html
Comment icon #24 Posted by maximusnow 10 years ago
Proof that the US government is building an army of the dead. Reminder, you must shoot them in the head. The Zombie apocalypse is real .
Comment icon #25 Posted by Calibeliever 10 years ago
14 years later and Y2K bugs are still popping up.


Please Login or Register to post a comment.


Our new book is out now!
Book cover

The Unexplained Mysteries
Book of Weird News

 AVAILABLE NOW 

Take a walk on the weird side with this compilation of some of the weirdest stories ever to grace the pages of a newspaper.

Click here to learn more

We need your help!
Patreon logo

Support us on Patreon

 BONUS CONTENT 

For less than the cost of a cup of coffee, you can gain access to a wide range of exclusive perks including our popular 'Lost Ghost Stories' series.

Click here to learn more

Recent news and articles