When the lottery began I was an Army Captain on extended leave from the military attending law school at the University of Florida. As a consequence the lottery had no impact on me. Not so my fellow law students who were in a state of panic as they saw their deferments disappear. Many joined ROTC or opted for the National Guard, both of which involved some period of active duty for training. Others just decided to take their chances in the lottery. All were concerned. Despite the fact that I was indistinguishable from my fellow students (long hair and beards were the mode of the day) the fact that I was an Army Officer was common knowledge and I was approached one day and asked to meet with several of the guys that afternoon to talk about the Army and what they could expect on active duty. I agreed and at the appointed time went to the classroom where we were to meet. You can imagine my suprise to find that "several of the guys" were some eighty to a hundred law students! Hopefully my assurances that the Army was not as bad as most anticipated somewhat lessened the general mood of stark horror. I closed with the old adage that sometime in the distant future they would look back on their military service as one of the most enjoyable times of their lives. Don’t think too many agreed with me.
