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

I never got a draft notice, I enlisted at seventeen.

First felt the cold breeze (draft) on my neck when classified 1A 4 months before graduation, after which I planned to safely continue education toward a higher degree. When bussed off for the Army medical a month later I panicked and ran across the street to the Coast Guard, then National Guard, just to check backup plans. They laughed at me for waiting too long to get on the long wait list. Navy was next. "Take the OCS exam." Did okay.They said "we'll see." A month later came the Army Draft Notice. WTF!!!! Cut classes, ran to the Registrar, dropped a course, obtained a letter saying I needed one course to graduate. Took it to the Draft lady who said "See you in August." Two weeks later the Navy called. Cut classes, drove 100 miles to swear in, breathed a sigh of relief. "You'll cruise the Med," they promised, "No Vietnam for you!" A year later I was wearing ODs and cruising the Cua Viet.

Never received a draft notice my number was so high after they introduced the lottery system I would never have been called up. So I enlisted instead.

The waiting is finely over. Christmas eve day, 1966. I had quit college and gotten a job with the understanding that I was going to get drafted, but with the Sword of Damocles over my head it was difficult to do anything but tread water. I had tried to join the Air Force but was totally unimpressed with what they had to offer, I knew that the draft was the quickest and easiest solution. Proudly served. Proud Army Vet.

Never received it. I enlisted RA and the rest is a career.

I got divorced at the age of twenty-four and my draft classification went from 3-A to 1-A. After passing the draft physical and checking on my draft status with the draft board, I enlisted in the Army. In 1969 they were drafting people into the Marine Corps and I had no interest in being a Draftee at Paris Island. I retired as a First Sergeant from the Army Reserve in 1999.

My draft # was like 326, so no draft notice expected, unlike one of my friends was #2. I had free sailing ahead.... But then, a couple yrs later I took a Rotc scholarship for college, four yrs active while everything was downsizing, combat tour in 2004, and then retired out with 38 yrs in Reserves/NG.

I never had one, sir. I joined at 17 but the Draft was over. All we had to do was register (and already being "in Boots" I did not have to do that).

However, of those that were friends and family. Most seemed to feel that military service may be then end of their life. By this I mean, that they felt they would not come home the same if at all. Some did come home, some came home much different, some came home and well they went down hill, and some did not come home alive. So .. maybe they were correct.

Well I'm a Vietnam Era Soldier but never received a draft notice, (1974), but I had friends that did and it was tough. America was different then and no one could give you a clear idea of what the war was about and Walter Cronkite gave his opinion every night with dramatic photographs.

I like most viet nam ere and incountry were not draftees we volunteered a lot volunteered for the draft because it came with a two year ad obligation and RA came with a 4 year obligation.