With a student deferment about to end, and with the "War Boards" behind me, I was sweating out the lottery, nearly fainting when I got No. 19.  I presumed that would mean instant boot camp; but, I was married at the time and when I graduated, I taught school for a semester in NC, which gave me an education deferment.

During the summer of 1970, I worked in a local industry and liked the job (and the pay) and decided to get this thing over with, so I volunteered for the draft.  Alas, when I went to the induction physical, I found that I was color blind and got a deferment for that reason.  Seems red-green color blindness doesn’t work so well in the jungle. 

Several years later, they converted my deferment to a full medical deferment, as the war was winding down, and I missed military service altogether. Turns out I moved into several jobs over the years and spent 35 years as a military supply contractor, so I got indirect involvement anyway. Those were stressful years back in 1969 and 1970.