Bill, Alabama, 1969. No. 263: The View From Ft. Shafter

I remember listening with some friends as the numbers were drawn and finally mine came up – 263.  Oh shit I said.  I would have never had to go.  You see I was listening at Fort Shafter, Hawaii.  I had been in the Army 11 months.  Oh...

Ralph, Arkansas, 1969. No. 328: Cold Night At The Drive-In

The draft lottery was on the day before my 21st birthday in 1969. One of my best friends had been forced to drop out of Carolina for a couple of semesters because of mononucleosis and was living at home in Burlington and taking some classes at Elon before returning to...

Randy, North Carolina, 1969. No. 334: Lucky Memento Draft Card

I went to the North Carolina basketball game that night. After the game, I turned on the car radio and they were giving a recap. I came in on the broadcast about number 130 and listened with great anxiety. After they got up to number 300, I started to think...

Phil, Georgia, 1969. No. 329: Navy Medical Corps

I got number 329 in the first draft lottery, so I was pretty much assured of not getting called.  I revoked my education deferment and exposed myself to the draft when I started medical school in 1971. The medical draft continued to age 35, but...