I went to college in the fall of 1970, and got a student deferment from the draft. Stupidly, I dropped some courses, not realizing that at the end of the school year I wouldn’t have enough credits to sustain my deferment. I was part of the lottery in the summer of 1971, but I lucked out with a high number.
Ever since I was a little kid, I had a fear of having to serve in the military. I remember at a young age thinking that the worst thing about being a guy was having to serve in the military. I thought the worst think about being a girl was having to have babies.
It’s not that I didn’t believe in war or believe in our military. I was just a chicken shit and didn’t want to be subjected to the rigor of boot camp, the military life, and oh by the way, running the risk of getting wounded or killed.
Dumb luck saved me from that. I did the stupid thing and lost my deferment, and I just lucked out. It’s the story of my life. I’ve been blessed with more than I deserve.
[Ed. note: The third lottery of the Vietnam era was held on August 5, 1971. It applied to men born in 1952, and determined the order of call for 1972. The highest number called in 1972 was 95.]