Larry, Illinois, 1970. No. 307: A New Plan

I was attending a Methodist seminary but had decided that the ministry wasn’t for me.  I wanted to become a city planner but knew that I would be drafted as soon as my status changed.  I had taken the Air Force OCS test just before the lottery took...

Rick, Wisconsin, 1971. No. 151: Tear Gas At The Window

Mine is not a long story. All I remember is that I was in my fourth year in school at the University of Wisconsin. I had one more year of Pharmacy School. I had already had two friends from Pulaski High School die over there and to tell you the truth I didn’t...

Ted, Wisconsin, 1969. No. 83: A Close Call

In December 1969, I was a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin, Marathon County Center.  My study habits were poor and my grades reflected that.  When lottery number 83 was drawn for my birthday,  I felt that military service via the draft...

Bill, Illinois, 1970. No. 273: Absolute Zero

I remember the draft lottery in 1970.  I was a Sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a bunch of us were sitting around the TV in the fraternity house waiting for our numbers to come up.  When my number was called, 273, I kept thinking that it...

Paul, New Jersey, 1969. Blood Sugar and Cross-Dressers

I was at the University of Maryland, considering graduate work in math or history, and my number — which I do not remember — made it certain I would be drafted. I volunteered instead, hopefully for the army foreign language training program (Chinese, but...