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

Already in "Boot Camp", Navy. C.C. threw my notice in garbage, started laughing like a mad man. Joined, because I owed America. Next reason, kill commies, die serving my country.

I was in Basic three weeks when my mother called my first sgt, hah! Draft board missed me. Then she called a week later to tell me I was accepted into USAF Pilot Training. The first sgt said, "bullshit, private, now get out of my face." I went back five years later as a USAF Capt but the first sgt and the bldg were both gone. Pity.

I was pumping gas at my dad's station having just graduated from high school and had already enlisted in the navy and was waiting to go to boot camp. I still have the notice and its with my DD-214

Like many others, I got mine as a 1stLt at Camp Lejeune, NC at the Engineer School. I sent my board a copy of my orders to RVN with training enroute at MCES along with a sarcastic letter indicating that I was unable to get emergency leave. On my way to RVN I went to the local board and discovered the incompetence that had lead to the draft notice. I had been a PLC and carried a reserve deferment. When I was commissioned, HQMC sent a form letter that read, "The above named individual has been disenrolled from the PLC program for the reason checked below." That was all someone read, because the reason checked below was, "Acceptance of a commission USMC/USMCR."

Actually I got it while I was in RVN so I couldn't report!

Like others here I enlisted when I was 17 and entered the delayed enlistment program. 15 days after I graduated I entered active service in 1969. I turned 18 while I was in basic training and another surprise I actually earned E-2 in basic because of the delayed enlistment! Since I was in the military at the time I never registered for the draft. I did keep track of the "lottery" of the draft and by all that I could tell I never would have been drafted! By the time I got out of the service the draft was abolished and then when the draft was reinstated years later I was beyond the age limit of having to register!
So this response may not be appropriate because I never got a draft notice nor registered for the draft.

Dude, I'm old, but not that old!

Similar to CPT Durish... I had joined the Army at 17 years old. It was at least a year and a half later when I received my notice. In fact it had said something to the affect that it wasn't the first notice. I was actually stationed at Ft Lewis at the time, so I went to JAG and they contacted the proper folks for me. I have saved a lot of documents over the years but that is one that got away.

I had #202, I don't think I would have been drafted, but who will ever know. I volunteered for the USMC in the Summer of 1970. I was still in college at the time of the draft and had friends that had very low numbers and bad grades. There were some butts puckering that night. My room mate had #2.

I'm not a Vietnam Vet. However the Government re-instituted draft registration shortly after I had joined the Marine Corps. Even while in Boot Camp, several members received nasty letters from the draft board. While these were just turned in to the drill instructors, it provided for some humorous conversation.