I started college in the fall of 1964 with a student deferment. After two years, I dropped out for a year, got married and had a kid. When I reapplied for my student deferment in 1967, some kind soul, to whom I will always be grateful, sent back my application with a note "keep your III-A, all evidence returned to you." I did. I watched the lottery with my young wife and we just looked at each other when my number came up early. Again, I was tempted to reapply for a student deferment, but decided to roll the dice. I finished grad school in 1970 and went to work. They never did call up the III-A’s.

(Editor’s note:  The draft classification III-A applied to "Registrant with a child or children; registrant deferred by reason of extreme hardship on dependents").