In 1968 I took a summer job at a Naval Shipyard. After graduating in December 1969 I returned to that job full-time. My job often involved working on nuclear submarines so I was readily granted deferrals. After being deferred several years the draft board asked me to stop asking, as they were unlikely to get close to my lottery number. Although never really influenced by the Vietnam War, or the draft lottery, I went on to spend 44 years in civil service.

I well remember the daily line of protesters outside the student center cafeteria at lunch time. I was never bothered by them, nor did I ever interact with them. I had one brother in the Marine Corps and another who served in Vietnam in the Army. Later I was working at Great Lakes Naval Training Center, and watched the first US Navy POW’s arriving for their medical checkups.