Basically, I was lucky not to be drafted during this time. If I had been born a day earlier (No. 184) or later (No. 71) I would have been drafted. Upon entering UCLA in 1967, I went to the Selective Service Board and received a student deferment. For the first two years I didn’t worry about the draft since I had a student deferment. But when I learned about the lottery, I started to make plans. I decided that if I was to be drafted I would join ROTC at UCLA, hoping this would allow me to finish college and at least be an officer by the time I graduated. I was intending to go to pharmacy school, and I learned that I could go to pharmacy school and still be in the service. I knew that this commitment would mean being in the military for at least 5 years after I finished pharmacy school. This was obviously a better choice for me than being shot at. As it turned out I had a high enough lottery number that I didn’t get drafted and was quite relieved.
