I was born in 1948 and I recall being subject to the first draft lottery. For me, however, it was not relevant. I had previously received a IV-F classification (unfit for service) from the Omaha draft board based on a letter from my doctor. I had and have asthma. It has never been much of a problem, but it is one of those chronic diseases the Department of Defense doesn’t like. Friends of mine with bad eyes, bad knees, bleeding ulcers, etc. all got drafted and passed draft physicals. I never took the physical. During WWII, the IV-F classification was a cause for shame. During the Vietnam war, it was most coveted. This fact says a lot to me.
I did sit in the Gothic Dining Hall at Duke University the day of the lottery reading. Early in the process, my classmates screamed or broke down in tears hearing their birthdays read out. It was horrible and sobering. These young men’s lives were changed forever.