I remember the lottery very well. I was a sophomore at Carolina and my older brother was serving a tour in Vietnam. The night of the draft everyone was glued to the TV. I didn’t have to watch long, for my birthdate(9-14-50) was the first number picked. I drew number 1. This occurred around 9:00 p.m. One of my best friends in the room next door got the second number. We were the first ones to arrive at the Scoreboard downtown. We were joined by many others later on. I was a pre-med major, so the plan was to go to med school, but so were thousands of other male students. By my senior year the war was still going on with the draft still taking place. Those with low numbers were extremely nervous. I did not get into med school or dental school (did not really want dentistry), but did get into Podiatry school in Chicago, Il. The word was the war was going to end, so I figured I could do this for a year and see what happens. Turned out to be a great decision. I now have been a practicing Podiatrist for over 30 years. A very rewarding profession. A very tumultous time in US history. My brother did made it home safe and sound from his tour in Vietnam. By the way I still have my draft card.
