I was a sophomore at KU when the drawing was held, but having a student deferment kept me from dwelling on the reality of the situation. As 1971 was nearing its end, I had accepted my certain fate and had even signed up to get the physical (just in case I wasn’t as healthy as I thought). In late December, Attorney General John Mitchell announced that no draft calls were expected for the first few months of 1972.
On Friday, December 31st, 1971, I rolled the dice and dropped my student deferment, knowing that a draft call would end my hopes of a May graduation. On the upside, being eligible for that one day in 1971 meant only 4 months of 1st tier exposure in 1972. As luck would have it, April 30th came and went without the dreaded call, and I was able to continue my education at the University of Texas law school, where I met my wife and still law partner. What a difference a day makes!