Tom, Minnesota, 1972. No. 62: End of the Draft

I can remember the dorm room #107 I was sitting in at Winona State College my Freshman year with 2 guys I went to high school with and my room mate from Wisconsin. We were all listening to the lottery numbers called for each of our birthdays. My high school friend had...

Tom, Iowa, 1971. No. 104: Oblivious

For years I thought my number was 246. I recently checked and it was actually 104. The highest number drawn that year was 95. I was my parents’ only child, about to be a college sophomore, and there was a sense the war might be coming to an end. Nonetheless, I...

Ron, Florida, 1969. No. 36: Spit on

Drafted and spit on in an airport. …..today’s Army personnel have no idea how good they have it for their service to be viewed so honored. Upon completing an MSEE degree, the notice to report to my induction center in Florida arrived (36). What followed...

Tim, California, 1969. No. 41: Shafts of Sunlight Through the Fog

In 1969, I totally opposed the Vietnam War but I was #41 in the draft lottery. I was at UCLA so I had a 2-S student deferment but once I graduated I would be reclassified 1-A and drafted. I went to free draft counseling at Papa Bach Bookstore (deep gratitude to the...

Cristofer, Colorado, 1969. No. 052: Alternative Service

I have no memory of the lottery drawing, but I guess I watched the event with my dorm mates. I was raised in a pacifist Protestant denomination and had no difficulty achieving conscientious objector (CO) status. COs with the I-O classification were required to perform...