Carl, Georgia, 1969. No. 257: Second Most Eligible

I graduated from the University of Georgia in June 1969 and began work immediately.  I was called for my draft physical in September 1969.  I talked with an Air Force recruiter and was told that they were only accepting Officer Candidate School candidates as...

Jerry, Georgia, 1969. No. 003: Rolling the Dice

I was in the premed program at the University of Georgia at the time of the lottery. My roommate was a business major. The night the lottery was broadcast live on the radio, Dwight and I purchased a couple of six packs of beer and several snacks, settling in for the...

Bob, Illinois, 1970. No. 028: Guarding Site R

The 1970 lottery was in the summer after I finished high school.  With number 28 I was sure to be drafted even if the war ended, so I enlisted rather than go to college.  I didn’t really have any future plans figured out and the reserves and national...

James, Georgia, 1969. No. 071: Serving at Walter Reed

Prior to 1966 my draft board was constantly re-classifying me I-A even with good grades and school certifications of attendance.  So being from a military family anyway, I joined senior Army ROTC at the University of Georgia and thus eliminated the draft...

Thomas, South Carolina, 1969. No. 210: Major Dividing Line

A friend from my small home town had been killed in Nam in 1967. I was afraid of the draft and the coming lottery, so I kept a diligent eye on my grades. My roommates at the University of Georgia and I gathered in our Benton Apartment in front of a small TV and...

Al, Georgia, 1969. Silence Stalked the Porch

I wasn’t subject to the draft because I had already served three years in the Marines before I started at UGA in 1966. But I was very aware of the draft because quite a few of my classmates were in law school simply to obtain a deferral, which I thought was...