What were your feelings and thoughts when you first opened your draft notice?

I knew my draft notice was coming but at 19 I just wanted to get it over with so it was a bit of fear of the unknown and relief in that it had finally arrived and we're going to get this done.

Like most 19 year olds, I only knew of the war what I saw on TV. But I never let that bother me one way or the other and it was never discussed in our home.

My parents didn't try to put any ideas in my head nor did anyone when I grew up in Colorado. Those of us going were following in the footsteps of parents or uncles from WWII so going to the service was more of an honor than anything else at the time. But that's the way people thought where I was raised.

Once at Ft Bliss I took the aptitude exams and learned I could go to OCS or Flight School as a warrant. I chose the latter which turned into 22.5 years of service. 2 tours in Vietnam, one flying Cobra's with 1/4 Cav, 1st ID (Low Level Hell book is my first 3 months) and the second flying RU-21's in the 146th AVN Co for 6 months then off to Udorn, Thailand with the 7th RRFS. I was at Ft Hood twice, 5 years in the 82nd ABN with the Cav where we got in on the Grenada fiasco then it was off to Germany for my final assignment with 2ACR.

As I look back over the years I realize that getting drafted probably saved me. Not sure what would have happened had I not been drafted. I was drifting at the time I was drafted with no clear goals or direction. Army life was good for me and I wouldn't change a thing.

I was in the reception station at Ft. Dix, NJ when I called home in the evening when my Mom told me I had gotten drafted LOL I did not really know what to do about it so I told the 1SG he took care of it for me while he was laughing really hard. Never heard another thing from anyone about it again.

I had just gotten home from Vietnam and discharged from Chelsea Naval Hospital in a wheelchair and the draft people came to my house to tell my Dad that I had to come down and sign up for the draft board. My old man being a Marine tore them a new xxxhole and told them his other 2 sons were also Marines serving already. I just busted up laughing in the background. 0311 Vietnam 1970.

Morons!!!! I was on a small, 3 man. hill top observation post south of Danang. I told the Top that I had to go home. "Why's that?"," I gotta report to the draft office.". " get the fuck outta my office!"

I registered for the draft in June 1967 when I graduated from high school. A few months later, I'd been laid off my part-time job when lo! one of my ne'er-do-well pals came along and told me that he was going to see the Marine recruiter (the judge had given him the option of four years in the slammer or four years in the USMC) and did I want to go along? Sure, I said, and ended up enlisting with him on the buddy system. I went home (it was Tuesday) and my Dad was hazing me about getting a job, so I told him I had one and I'd be leaving for training on Thursday. Suddenly, there wasn't anything too good for me! Well, my pal got contusion foot in the third week of boot camp and was medevaced to Balboa Naval Hospital and I never saw him again. I finished boot camp and advanced training and ended up in Vietnam in Feb 68. I never got a draft notice. As to how I felt about joining and going to Vietnam, I came from a small town and just felt I was doing my duty to my country. My Dad was a WWII vet (33rd Div in the Pacific Theater) and I wanted to emulate his service. One tour of duty led to the next and I retired in 1988.

Got my notice to report for a preinduction Physical when I was a Senior in High School ( I was classified as 1A ). Thta didn't go so well ( Blood Pressure ). By the time Spring break came around, I had been in the hospital and gotten things sorted out. I headed off to see the Navy recruiter as I had intended to follow my Dad into the Navy. First Office I got to, was the Coast Guard. I rmembered the Stations I saw on the Outer Banks of N.C. and loved it out there, so decided to talk to him. Found out it counted as my service obligation and that was it. This was in '65 and as far as I knew, the CG had no assets in Vietnam which was heatiing up, or so I thought. By the end of my break, all I had left was to report, get sworn in and get gone. I was never stationed any further south than Lewes, Del. and ended up doing a tour in Vietnam to boot.

I enlisted - I knew my number was up!

I could write an essay on this, maybe a thesis. I will just say that I am a Military Brat who spent his Junior High and beginning High School days in Europe and grew to hate communism. I volunteered and joined up during my Senior year in high school. I graduated on a Friday night and was in training at midnight on Sunday. I was also a young and dumb kid and the reality of going to war had not set in yet. Fortunately, fate step in and everything worked out. What I did like about my experience was that everyone I was associated with were volunteers. No "anti-establishment" rhetoric. Right or wrong, we were of one mind, one mission, and true to the Corps, and the Nation.

I never got a draft notice as the draft was stopped the year I would have been sucked in. I did however receive my lottery number - 97. I was told with a nice two digit number I would have been in line for an all expense paid vacation.

I was never part of this era, but my hat is off to the men and women who serve during this time. My father was a two-time Vietnam war vet with the Marine Corps!