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

COL Mikel J. Burroughs never got one,

I really didn't think too much about the draft. After I graduated from HS, I worked during the summer and was destined for college in the fall. I went to college, but didn't do well, so I enlisted. At the time I was gung-ho about getting into the fight in Vietnam, but it wasn't in the cards for me in my first enlistment. I ended up on a couple of small ships, one was USS Banner AGER-1 the other was USS Peregrine AG-176. I had done fairly well on the ASVAB so I was sent to Gunnery School right out of Boot camp. While my parent didn't form my impressions of the conflict in SE Asia, my Dad was very much against me enlisting in the Army, so instead I went into the Navy. Loved it for 20 years.
Still do.

I was in boot camp when my draft notice caught up to me. The drill instructors had a good laugh over that one. As for Vietnam.....I wanted to see what it was all about. It was the war of my generation, and I wanted to say I did my part. By the time I got overseas, it was already winding down, so I never made it to the war zone. I felt cheated at the time.......but as I look back now, I guess I was pretty lucky.

I was in Boot Camp at Parris Island when I received my Draft notice.. The Drill Instructor had allot of fun at My behalf.. They yelled at me what this you want out of our beloved Marine Corps and of coarse I said No Sir hoping that was it OH NO , that wasn't it they brought the other D.I.'s into the squad bay and they too had fun at me..Needless to say I left Parris Island owing about 1 million Bends and thrust.. Thank goodness Graduation came along....

I was in the Air Force over a year and at my first duty station when I got a letter from the Delaware (my home of record) State Police. They said that I had failed to register for Selective Service. I turned 18 after I had been in the Air Force 6 months! They said they were gonna come arrest me if I didn't register. I took it to my First Sergeant. He said he would "take care of it". Apparently, he threw it in the shredder when I left because I had no end of trouble proving Selective Service as I tried to accept a Gov position after retirement!

I got my draft notice during my last week of boot camp. Company Commander took care of it, never heard from them again.

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.