I recall my father-in-law to-be stating that he would assist me and my fiancee/girlfriend to flee to Canada rather than be drafted. At the time this astounded me, as I had previously thought of him as a fairly conservative guy. Naturalized Italian immigrant who had served as an ambulance driver in WW I. His experiences there profoundly affected his views on the Vietnam war.
I remember watching the drawing for the first lottery on TV at the home of my girlfriend’s parents and waiting to see where my birthday would fall. July 26 got a really high number, 303. I recall feeling a huge sense of relief that I’d be able to finish college without fear of being drafted. At the same time, I felt a sense of remorse that just through the luck of the draw (literally) I’d be safe while others got sent off to a meat grinder of a war in Southeast Asia.
I’ve often said since then that this was the only lottery or raffle that I ever "won". I still feel that way.