Bill, Wisconsin, 1969. No. 212: Dropping A Load

     In 1969 I had a student deferment since I was a full time student at Madison. My lucky number was 212, while my brother’s number was in the 30’s. He enlisted after college, but never went overseas. I waited to see how high the...

Paul, Wisconsin, 1969. No. 360: Just Like A Game Show

In the fall semester of 1969, I started graduate school at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.  I had just graduated, having had the good fortune of a student deferment; but I probably would have been drafted by the end of the summer, were it not for...

Bill, Oregon, 1969. No. 34: The Sword of Damocles

When I headed off to the University of Wisconsin as a freshman in September, 1967, I didn’t know much about Vietnam. My fellow freshmen and I assumed then that by the time we graduated, Vietnam would be behind us. But the war dragged on, and sometime during...

Bob, Florida, 1969. No. 333: Difficult and Strange Times

The first 1969 lottery was a Monday night, broadcast nationally, in December of my sophomore year at the University of Florida. Before I left for class, a number of my fraternity brothers and myself each contributed $10 into a pool, to be...

John, Florida, 1969. The Random Nature of Things

The lottery made me appreciate the random nature of things. I volunteered for the infantry and the Rangers and served overseas for 4+ wonderful fun-filled years. I thought I owed the country at least that much. Some gave a whole lot more. There isn’t a day that...

Fred, Florida, 1969. No. 325: No Need To Flee

I had just entered Grad School at UF the first year of the lottery.  I had a student deferment throughout my undergrad studies but learned that enrollment in Grad School didn’t provide a deferment.  I really didn’t know what I was going to...