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

There were no feelings except that I had a two year requirement that I had to do.
I had not heard of Vietnam, did not know where it was or anything about it.
My parents had no idea of worldly events taking place in south easy Asia.
I really never had any ideas about the Viet cong or Vietnam untill I got to Fort Polk, La. BONG THE CONG was on the overhead banner entering the post
I learned fast when I got of the plane in Saigon. I was sent to tent city turned on my winter clothes and got my summer jungle attire.
Three days later I was in a rice patty with water up to my butt.

I enlisted right out of High School never was drafted. I was number five of seven sons, our father had served 22 years in the Army. Was not against the Military as some were in that period of history. During my tour of duty in Germany we had a few who deserted and went to Sweden, then my roommate went back to the States on leave then booked to Canada he deserted. To them I have no respect what so ever. When I came back to the States from Germany I was spit on and called a baby killer even though I served in Germany. My brother James did three tours in Nam.

I was already on my first tour when it came in the mail..... LOL.

Received my invitation April 69, showed it to my fiance she was not happy. Got married three days before induction. Levied for Vietnam April 70, wife seven months pregnant. Saw my son for the first time when he was eleven months old. Almost forty-eight years later we still together. No regrets!!!

A brief draftee versus enlistee story: after going through all the stations at the induction center they moved all the enlistees to a separate section, furnished with church pews, and told us to await further developments. People being who they are the draftees started coming around the place we were sitting, ragging on us for being stupid and enlisting. After about twenty minutes of this the army platoon sergeant returned and told everyone (except the enlistees) to line up against the wall and count-off by threes. He then told every third man to take two steps forward. He stood in front of all those who had stepped forward and congratulated them—they had just been inducted into the the United States Marine Corps (please follow the Gunnery Sergeant). Of course as they dejectedly trooped past us we recognized many of them who had been ragging on us earlier. I'd like to say that we enlistees were to empathic, caring and sensitive to say anything to these sad young men; fact is we were all laughing so hard we couldn't say anything.

Well, COL Mikel J. Burroughs, when the big draft lottery for 1970 was held on 1DEC69 (the first since 1942), I had been in basic training for about three weeks. I had enlisted on 9AUG69 and reported to the reception station at Fort Jackson on 28OCT69. Ironically, my number was 332 and had I not enlisted, I would have never even had to serve, as the highest number called that year was 195!
(Photo above: Rep. Alexander Pirnie, R-NY, draws the first capsule in the lottery drawing held on December 1, 1969. The capsule contained the date, September 14.)
Sgt David G Duchesneau LTC Ivan Raiklin, Esq. PO3 Phyllis Maynard SGT Mark Anderson

Glad I was already signed up for the AF!

I was not drafted. I joined while a senior in High School. Delayed entry Marine Aviation Guarantee.
Never even registered for the draft. I had seen the recruiter and been to Testing center before parents found out. My father was Marine retired and had several retired officers that were family friends. I was pro military and spent 3 1/2 tours in Vietnam and Okinawa. ^6 mo in Japan. out of 8 1/2 years in Marine Corps. Marine Corps left me in 1974 and I joined Air Force as C141 Load Master.
Then joined Army and stayed to retire in 1988. Over 30 years Federal service as civilian and military.
Then went to college and Grad School.

To Me-- With the "Draft notice" .. Vietnam ?? Felt Trust in our GOVERNMENT !! (at least at that time) I felt that it was our obligation; Draft or NOT !! .. Stance on the war.. Again, Trust.. I felt that there was Humanitarian Reasons for Vietnam.. At this time my hero, my dad had just died, killed at work.. I ran to look for a "father figure".. A position NEVER filled.. Now I am the dad.. at least half of one..

I burned my draft card.
My First Sergeant even thought it was funny. I was two weeks short on my first hitch in Germany.

My family has had its share of problems with draft boards though. My brother was with the 4th Infantry Division in Cambodia when he received his draft notice (he had enlisted on his 17th birthday). He sent a nice letter with a pic of himself in jungle fatigues standing beside a sign post for Phnom Penh stating he would be more than happy to return to the States and go through Basic again if only the Board would get a release from his CO. He received a letter of apology from the Board.

In World War 2 my uncle ran off twice and tried to enlist using his dead older brother's birth certificate before he got through. He was serving UDT in the Pacific when he got his notice. My grandparents had to travel all the way from St Louis to Kentucky to get my other Uncle's death certificate to prove which brother they had. The Navy was all ticked off and it's a wonder he didn't get in more trouble but I guess they had a lot of money invested in him and he was doing the job so... But it created a mess with his records I don't know we've straightened out to this day and he's been dead twelve years.

I always figured I'd end up in Nam, my dad, my brother both went. The Peace Treaty was signed my Junior Year. I didn't make any after high school plans because I figured I'd do at least three years and see what then. Just a family thing.