"James Robinson" wrote in message
...

A number of unofficial web cites snipped stating he enlisted


A lesser number of unofficial web cites snipped stating he was drafted
: )



In response, I direct you to the Air Force Museum site, which should
know,


Why should that site know?



where they state:

"On Mar. 22, 1941, Jimmy Stewart was drafted into the U.S. Armed Forces.
He was assigned to the Army Air Corps as an enlisted man and stationed
at Moffett Field, Cal. "

http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/history/wwii/js.htm

... and from another biography written by an Air Force historian:

"Stewart, who was born May 20, 1908, in Indiana, Penn., was drafted into
the U.S. Armed Forces on March 22, 1941."


http://www.altus.af.mil/PA/patriot/a.../11jul974.html

It appears that in the eyes of the Military, he was drafted, since the
paperwork was organized around an induction, and not enlistment.

Interestingly, the Jimmy Stewart Museum site, which was also quoted as
saying he enlisted, has this description of his induction into the Army
in his obituary. Note that it says he joined through the action of the
local draft board, hence the reason he was considered as being drafted:

"Stewart's draft number was 310. When his number was called and he
appeared at his draft board - No. 245 in West Los Angeles - in February
1941, he weighed only 138 pounds, five pounds under the acceptable
weight level, but he was able to convince his draft board to accept him.
While others tried to avoid the draft, he actually cheated to get into
the military. Later, he would actually campaign to see combat."

http://www.jimmy.org/memories/passing.html


So what you're saying is Stewart was forced into military service, he was
not a volunteer. After, that's the primary difference between enlisting and
being drafted.