I remember watching the draft on TV in New York City. I’m not sure if I was at home or at college that day, but to me it was academic as I was in college with a student deferment until 1972.
I graduated high school in 1967 and was considered an outcast as I was vehemently against the war as far back as 1965–long before Tet. While not excited by college (sex, booze and rock & roll were tempting me to roam after high school), being a 2nd generation immigrant, it was expected that I would go. So I picked pharmacy since it was a 5 year degree and would enable me to keep my deferment longer.
I graduated in 1972 and then went on to medical school but didn’t renew my deferment since in 1971 the highest number was well below 188 and continuing my deferment for several years would have once again exposed me to a I-A status when I had graduated. So I was I-A for 1973 and obviously didn’t get called.
From 1983-1986 and again from 2009-2014 I was a physician at the VA. These periods of my life sadden me. In the 1980’s no one in the government would consider PTSD and the Viet Nam vets didn’t get the care they needed.
And now the elephants in the room are the brain injured Vets I saw who served in Iraq and the Viet Nam folks that still do not realized they are suffering as the result of a useless war. It was truly useless.