I was not subject to the lottery, as I had already enlisted before the lottery began on 1 December 1969 to avoid being drafted and having no choice in the matter.  Very shortly after graduating from UNC I visited my local draft board and basically asked one question.  When?  The draft board indicated that I would be drafted in October 1969.  I then visited the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine recuiting offices and chose to enlist in the Air Force. After an extended period of training, I spent three years in various overseas assignments. My last tour was stateside with the National Security Agency.

The military experience gave me an advantage in my choice of employment after my discharge.  I worked for the Central Intelligence Agency for 32 years and am now retired.

As for the lottery, I kept track of what my number would have been each year during my time in the service.  My highest number was 22.  My lowest number was 1.