My Vietnam War Experience-- Part 2: It's Draft Time

That war goes on forever.  Most boys were going to get drafted coming out of high school, unless you went to college (or had a high draft lottery number).  A whole lot of boys who hadn't planned on going to college all of a sudden decided to go to college and get that beautiful student deferment.

I had planned on being a teacher since I was seven years old and that meant going to college, so I was ok there.

Maybe the war would be over by the time I got out of college.  Foolish boy.

Then, the draft became the draft lottery.  Birthdays were taken and put in a big drum and dates pulled.  We high school boys watched that intently, hoping that we would not get pulled early.  The earlier you were pulled, the more likely you had a one-way ticket to Vietnam.

The first time they had it, I was not eligible because of age.  May 24th came up #31.  I would have to go to Vietnam had I been eligible.  But, if I got the low number this time, perhaps next time I would have a nice high number.

The year that I was eligible, my birthday was pulled #22.

So Much for the Odds.  --RoadDog