Steven, California, 1970. No. 342: A Nervous Time

Before the lottery, I went through a nervous time when I failed a Spanish class at UCLA and, due to insufficent progress (i.e., I did not become a sophomore in the required time), lost my student deferment.  The draft office at UCLA said I could get my deferment...

Lloyd, North Carolina, 1969. No. 332: Access To Orthodontia

I was in my second year at UCLA, on a student deferment, of course, and I was a member of a fraternity.  We were all subject to the first lottery, and were all congregated around the radio as the numbers were being called.  A frat brother who was born...

David, Rhode Island, 1970. No. 264: Correspondence Overload

Starting in late 1969, I became active in the anti-draft movement.  At the time I was a student at USC and transferred to UCLA in 1970.  I led a small group in the San Fernando Valley that decided the best way to fight the draft was to adhere to the draft...

Wes, Minnesota, 1969. No. 353: All My Trigger Fingers

I had 2 years of college as II-S classification, then dropped out to make more money, and got I-A in a week’s time.  That was in 1968.  In 1969, it was still going through the mill on how to do the draft lottery, and I got inducted in Oct. 31, 1969,...

Marc, California, 1969. No. 259: Bostonian Interlude

A large crowd of dorm denizens gathered in the front lobby of UCLA’s Hedrick Residence Hall, anxiously awaiting the announcement of their numbers piped in over the PA system.  With each birthday read someone celebrated or moaned. ...

Andy, California, 1969. No. 264: Nervous Parents

My parents were particularly nervous.  Both of their boys (my older brother Mark and I) were in the very first lottery draw.  They professed at the time they would move to Canada if necessary, but we also had college (San Diego State for Mark,...