Ridgley, Wisconsin, 1969. No. 45: Sole Surviving Son

by | Sep 23, 2008 | Stories

I sure remember the night of the lottery.  My friends and I gathered at the KK (the old one on State) to watch the proceedings. I was number 45 (August 2), a very low number.  Quite the party ensued that evening.  In those days, all males...

Nick, Florida, 1969. No. 59: C.O. Status–Pumping Cheap Gas

by | Sep 22, 2008 | Stories

I was in my junior year at UW-Madison under a student deferment when the lottery was initiated and my birthday came up No. 59; so I knew that meant I would likely go to Viet Nam upon graduation in June 1971.  I went to Milwaukee in the spring of 1971 for my...

Ray, Florida, 1969. No. 65: The Speeding Heart

by | Sep 20, 2008 | Stories

I had a II-S college deferment in 1969 when they did the draft lottery. The year before there was something of a pre-cursor to the lottery in that if you were in college, you had to take a nationwide SAT-like test and get a minimum score to keep the II-S...

Danny, New York, 1969. No. 48: Wages of Fear

by | Sep 15, 2008 | Stories

In the years I attended the University of Wisconsin, 1967-1971, my classes seemed to be sandwiched between attending a never-ending series of protests and going to hundreds of movies on campus. On December 1, 1969, the day of the first draft lottery, the classic...

Mickey, Tennessee, 1969: No. 194: On The Bubble

by | Sep 14, 2008 | Stories

I can still remember Lottery Night like it was last night.  I was a Resident Advisor in Sledd C Hall in my senior year at the University of Florida.  Most of the guys from the dorm were gathered in my room listening to the radio.  The rumor was...