Jay, NC, 1969. No. 55: Weekend Warrior

I was a junior at NC State living with a couple of classmates in an apartment off campus on the night of the fateful first lottery.  Two of us got low numbers and the third guy lucked out with a number over 200.  The guy with the other low number was already...

Ted, NC, 1969. No. 342: Old Ladies And Cripples First

As an ROTC cadet, we were signing the paperwork for entering the Air Force as an officer upon graduation or enlisted if you dropped out of school. As we started to sign, someone said "let’s go around the room and say our lottery numbers." Most were...

Doug, NC, 1969. No. 366: Coming In Last

I was involved in the very first lottery in 1969.  I was a sophomore at North Carolina State University, single, and prime for the draft.  I was not an avid supporter of the Vietnam war, but was not a draft dodger either.  Had I been drafted I would...

D. Web, California, 1971. No. 212: From Cook To Clergy

I recall that the lottery was held when I was a camp counselor between my freshman and sophomore years at Univ. of Calif. at Santa Barbara.  All the males on the camp staff had logged their birth dates with the camp administrative staff.  When...

Phil, California, 1969. No. 74: Weight Limit

When I finished my BA at UCLA in the winter quarter of 1970, my draft status was immediately changed to I-A.  With the low number in the lottery, I was not surprised to receive a notice to appear for a pre-induction evaluation at a federal building somewhere...