Military Service and Being An Only Child

I have heard many times, probably because I am an only child, that being an only child automatically exempts you from being drafted for the military.
This so-called military law, is actually not true at all. This myth, was most likely spread and made popular through movies (for example, Saving Private Ryan; and The Fighting Sullivans). The actual law; which most likely was misunderstood and hence became the myth stated above; was created in 1948, "to safeguard the only remaining sons of families that had lost other children during the Second World War." So, the law only came into affect when one or more children were already lost during the war, and then the sole surviving child could not be drafted. This law changed a few more times after 1948, and was finally changed in 1971, "to extend the exemption to any son(not necessarily the only surviving son) whose father or brother(or sister) had died in military service."
Jason
www.snopes.com/military/onlyson.htm