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

I was fairly naïve back then. I turned 18 in January of 1975. In June I went to the recruiter to join the army. They asked about my draft card. I'm like, "What's a draft card?" I grew up in the projects of LA and had no idea there was a draft. I had to write a letter explaining that I wasn't avoiding the military so I could join the military.

I'm still laughing . I was on my second tour in Korea in 1966 when I got a letter from my mom saying I had been drafted. She wrote back and informed them I was in Korea serving with the 2nd Inf. Div. She told them she was quite sure I wouldn't mind coming home to get drafted but wouldn't probably like going thru BCT AIT & BUT at Fort Polk again. My first tour in Korea I served with 1st Bn. 12 Cav. 1st Calvary Div. at Blue Lancer Valley .I celebrated my 17 th birthday pulling guard duty at the mine dump Echo Range. I was packing a 12 gauge pump loaded with brass shells in 00 buck. I was a bad mad scared 17 years old ha . Good memories. Several tours in Nam later I got out in 1971. SSG Allen Lawson

I was a pre-engineering freshman at Oklahoma in the spring of 1963. Back then, all make students were required to take two years of ROTC. I chose Air Force. Engineering math and I were not great friends, I decided to take a sabbatical, and enlisted in the AF. Can't remember if I ever received a draft notice. I stopped by the AFROTC offices after graduating from basic and saw I had been promoted to Cadet SSgt. Didn't make that grade until I had five years in. The original four year sabbatical lasted for 30 years and I retired as a Major.

I was too young for the draft... but I returned to Active Duty 89 days after ETS from my first enlistment. Several months after I re-enlisted I received a notification from Selective Service stating that I was in violation of Federal Law for failing to register.

When I mentioned this in passing to my squadron commander, he said he would love to respond on my behalf. Unfortunately I lost the copy of the letter, but it was quite funny. In the letter he stated that "It has come to my attention that you are asserting that Neil P. Foster is in violation of Federal Law for failure to register for Selective Service. Unfortunately he is currently ineligible for Selective Service due to his current status as a Sergeant on Active Duty in the United States Air Force. Please contact me if you have any further questions regarding Sgt. Foster's status."

Of course the letter was printed on Squadron letterhead and signed by a Lt. Colonel... It was hilarious!

About the same time my wife got a letter from the VA that started "We are sorry to learn of the death of Neil P. Foster..." The letter proceeded to tell my wife how to claim survivor's benefits!

COL Mikel J. Burroughs I was out of boot camp and in A school when mine came. My mom told me I was going to have to come home and report to the draft board. I told her that they were just going to have to come and get me. She had already called them to let them know that I was already in the Navy.

Before I went in the Navy, I had heard that I was going to be drafted in about 3 months so I went to the Navy recruiter to join. He laughed and said I would have to get in line and it was about 3000 long. I asked how I could get to the front of the line because I was about to be drafted into the Army and if that happened, I would never be able to go home again since I came from a long line of Navy service. And that my father had retired after 22 years. The recruiter told me to have my father come see him the next day. He did and I was called back, given a slew of tests, and signed up with a guarantee of Aviation Electronics, which was what I wanted. They kept their word and I was sent to school after boot camp and that after school I would be going to NAS Oceana at Virginia Beach for two years. My boy camp commander asked me who I knew to get orders like that. He said he had never seen orders like that for someone leaving boot camp. After that I was sent to Vietnam.

I was all for going to Vietnam. Growing up as a Navy brat, I was instilled with a sense of duty and patriotism and service. I always knew that I was going to serve in the Navy. All of the negative news that I saw each night just made me angry want to go do my part. So yes I was influenced greatly by my father and his sense of purpose and pride in his Navy career. And I am a greater person for it.

When i received my Draft notice it was greeted with a mix of Humor and Sadness. At the time I was in a full body cast with over 11 broken and crushed bones. A motorcycle wreck in Dec. '67, 2 weeks after I had signed a commitment to the the USMC ended any chance I ever had to serve. I did receive a nice letter from the Corp after they received my Doctors Statement of Condition saying that they didn't think I could qualify given my "current physical condition". I guess the Draft board didn't get the message. I have always regretted not being able to serve my country. I have been riding with the Patriot Guard Riders for over 3 1/2 years as a Ride captain and have attended over 300 funeral ceremonies of fallen Heroes. I hope that by doing this I can Honor those who took the oath and served our country. Thank you to all of you that have served.

One, I was a volunteer and joined the Marines at age 17. I served six years and transferred to the United States Army in January 1967.
Two, My family has served our country since time can remember and I proudly joined to do my best for my country.
Three, My parents were patriots to the Country and the U.S. Constitution. If my dad could have went back in he would have been first in line.
Back then I was all for the War and us winning it. I never thought of us losing a war to anyone.
God Bless the U.S. and all our Vietnam Veterans that served and shed their blood in the Republic of South Vietnam. SHAME ON YOU CONGRESS FOR PULLING THE PLUG AND ALLOWING THESE PEOPLE TO BE FORCED INTO THE COMMUNIST SYSTEM!.

The day i left for basic we stopped and checked the mail on the way down to phoenix and guess what i was being drafted my dad and i laughed all the way down to the airport

Wow what a question that I would like to answer... Well in 1967(Oct) I came home from work(Bethlem Steel) in Lackawanna NY.. And sitting on the table by the door was a letter from the Gov.. My draft notice.. I got on the phone(land line)..Called my buddy John.. I said John guess what I just got in the mail?? He said never mind Guess what I got?? So as two Naïve Kids 20 and 19 ..We decided to get on a bus and go to Jamestown NY to check out the recruiter and see what we were getting our selves into .. Long story made short.. We enlisted on the buddy plan .. Neat idea right !!?? For electronics.. . Standing Butt ass naked(45 of us) in the Federal building in Buffalo for our last physical before flying out that afternoon to basic.. The nice old doctor(LTC) came down the line and saying cough..He stops in front of John standing next to me.. Looks down and says Sorry son.. Go home you have the worst flat feet I have ever seen.. John turns and leaves.. So I turn to leave... A very big hand lands on my shoulder and a Big voice says that's not the way it works Son.. The rest is history as they say....dd

I enlisted in the AF in June 1965. 1968 spent time Tdy to 6091st and 556th Reconnaisance Squadron, Danang AB and 1969 NCOIC Squadron Operatioms 557th TFS at Cam Ranh Bay.. When I got back I received a draft notice. I went to the local board with my DD-214 to show I had already served. Their response was, "Don't understand how something like that could have happened.". Well, when you consider they sent out notices to kids underage, girls, and those with handicaps it was quite understandable.