Ted, Virginia, 1969. No. 114: The Luckiest Draftee

I was with a group of my fraternity brothers the night they announced the numbers. One of them actually got #1 but as it turned out my #114 wasn’t any better.  Got my induction notice in Sept. 1970 and flew from Richmond, VA to Ft. Campbell, KY for basic...

Mitchell, New Jersey, 1971. No. 153: That Simple Reality

Deferments were relegated to history by the time I became eligible for call-up, as was only fair. As it turned out, no draft board went above 95 for 1972, which turned out to be the last full year of the draft. Although I took no evasive action to avoid...

Charlie, Georgia, 1969. No. 253: Like Watching the Super Bowl

I graduated from Robert E. Lee high school in Jacksonville in ’67.  Guys I knew where already in Vietnam by their own enlistments, including my brother.  I was enrolled in junior college which gave me a deferral for the remainder of ’67 and the...

Brad, South Dakota, 1969. No. 191: No Regrets Whatsoever

I graduated from high school in 1966.  My dad was a WW-II veteran and I always had it in the back of my mind to eventually enter the service.  I bounced in and out of two different colleges after getting out of high school and in the late fall of...

John, Ohio, 1971. No. 287: Contrary Opinion

The draft ended for me when I received the number 287 in the 1971 lottery. From the  results of previous lotteries, I knew that I had a high enough number that I wouldn’t be called. I had grown up with the draft and came to several opinions.I opposed...