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...

Bob, Texas, 1972. No. 005: Heard About It on the Radio

The date of my draft lottery was Feb. 2, 1972.  I was riding home from college with my two best friends since high school when we heard about it on the radio.  The news announcer read off the first five dates in order and when he said "and, July...

Eric, Missouri, 1969. No. 136: Fortune Smiled

As a graduating senior – Class of 1970 – I followed the Selective Service Lottery with a great deal of interest. That famous December night in 1969 found a large group of us huddled around the television in my fraternity house. We hung on every number as...

Terry, Maryland, 1969. No. 026: Smoothing Sharp Edges

I graduated from Carolina in the spring of 1969, with only a vague notion of what to do with my life. After taking creative writing under Max Steele, I fancied myself a budding novelist; Carolina law school was Plan B. But nothing could happen until the dark cloud of...