Bill, California, 1969. No. 292: Equally Patriotic Ways

by | Mar 13, 2009 | Stories

The real story was in the number, 292.  By any standard, a high and SAFE number.  I was getting ready to, and did go to Canada, where I hitch-hiked from one end to the other, not always on a natural high.  I was vehemently opposed to the Vietnam War,...

Alan, California, 1969. No. 35: Food Fight

by | Mar 13, 2009 | Stories

     I was a senior at UCLA in December 1969 when the first lottery was conducted.  I was living in the dorms and the lottery was broadcast over the sound system during dinner.  As lottery numbers and birth dates were called the entire...

Rex, California, 1969. No. 184: Color Blind In The Corps

by | Mar 9, 2009 | Stories

I was born on September 8.  On the day of the 1969 draft lottery I sat in my car waiting to hear what my number would be. My birthday was drawn at No. 184. I always thought it would be too low to keep me out of the draft.  So, I shrugged and went about my...

Ted, California, 1969. No. 46: Public Health Service

by | Mar 4, 2009 | Stories

The draft dominated my life choices. I had already joined the Air Force ROTC before the lottery, so I could go to graduate school at UCLA. After the lottery, where I got a very bad number, I ended up leaving ROTC and going into the Public Health Service as a...