I remember very distinctly sitting with about 400 other guys in the dormitory at KU (Templin I believe) watching the TV show that would announce our lottery numbers. As the evening started, men that got a low number were shocked. Many started weeping, some seemed ok with the announcement, others ran out of the TV area cursing. My number was 284.
I was from the small town of Anthony, Kansas, in Harper County. As the draft moved along during 1970, we only got up to No. 79 or so in our county, so I was safe. I think if my number had been lower, I would have gone. My Dad was a WWII pilot ( P-47), so we were patriotic in our family. As the years went by, I have to admit I was ok with not having to go. The stories we heard back home were pretty atrocious. One of the worst stories for me personally was about one of my classmates. He made it through the war, then as he was hitch-hiking back home, he was struck on the highway and killed. So sad, so much a waste of a life. It was maddening.