I was at Duke from 1965 until graduating in 1969. EVERY YEAR in June while I was in college my draft board (#220 Webster Groves, MO, Dorothy Laburay Clerk–can never forget that witch!) classified me I-A. Each time I had to get a letter from the registrar at Duke certifying that I had passed my courses and would be returning for the next year. Obviously this happened again in June of 1969 when the jig was up! I had searched for Navy OCS, but they weren’t taking too many Psych majors with average grades back then.
Sooo, to avoid being a ground-pounder I enrolled in the 2 X 6 enlisted Navy program. I owed them two years active and another four in the reserves. I literally raised my hand the day of my graduation! Was swept off to boot camp four weeks later and returned home in September with short hair and not-so-proud feelings about my upcoming service.
Several weeks later watched the lottery and my number came up as 257. Timing is everything. But not all was wasted. The Navy paid for my MBA several years later.