As I recall, KU had a home basketball game that night. I and one of my roommates went to the game; the other stayed home to watch the drawing. When we returned it was obvious the roommate who had stayed home had been drinking. I said something to the effect that the lottery hadn’t gone well for him and he replied that I hadn’t done much better. His birthday (Dec. 30) was drawn at No. 3; mine (Sept. 5) came up at No. 82. We both were faced with some decisions.
That spring I enlisted in the Air National Guard. After graduation, went to basic and technical training. Returned to KU for graduate school. In 1973, I started working full time for the Air National Guard. First as a civil service employee, later as part of an active duty program.
Ended up making the military my career. Retired from active service in 2001 from an assignment in the Pentagon. Spent nearly 15 years split between two tours in DC. Retired as a colonel. Moved back to Lawrence in 2002 and been happy here ever since.
