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

Didn't get one, was in the Marine Corps from 17 to 22.

Enlisted in AF in 70. Got draft notice 4 weeks into basic. Never saw SEA. Lucky.

The first and only letter I received from the draft board they wanted to know why I had failed to register.
Little did they know I had enlisted in the Corps three weeks before. Did not reply, sure they figured it out.

Q: What were your feelings and thoughts when you first opened your draft notice? A: I laughed, then gave the draft notice to my Drill Sergeant. He gave it to my BCT Commander and I never heard anything back. Q: What was your stance on the war? Explain your opinion A: I came from a military family. I felt it was an obligation... my duty
Q: Did your parents put ideas into your head about the war that you didn't necessarily believe in?
A: No.

Actually, I thought I would fail the physical. I had failed a physical for West Point, and advanced ROTC at college, and assumed the same fate awaited me. I passed the physical and retired some 35 years later as a colonel.

Never had thoughts on the subject. Like my Brothers before me I enlisted (Army), twice. A cousin
served in the Navy on a destroyer during the naval portion of Operation Torch, the Allied Invasion
of North Africa, Nov 1942. An secret agreement, with the Vichy French Commander, had been worked out where-by the French Defenders would surrender after a "Token Show of Force &
Resistance" (French pride). Someone changed his mind at the last minute WITHOUT TELLING
THE ALLIES! As a result the Allies were confronted by stiff French resistance at the invasion points.
French shore artillery batteries fired at Allied ships. There outcome was the Allies landed fought
the French resulting in a needless loss of Allied and French soldiers. Numerous Allied ships were
hit by artillery and damaged/sunk. My Cousin Mark was at his station on the stern of a destroyer
that took a direct hit and Mark was blown overboard. Mark was last seen motionless and surrounded
by blood in the water. He was carried as KIA. By the Will of God Mark survived with the care of'
compassionate natives put him back together so he was able to be returned to the Navy. After a
stretch in a hospital he was returned to his ship. A humorous story he told was after boarding his
ship he encountered some of his old shipmates. He related that upon seeing him they began to scream and run away thinking him to be a ghost. A few jumped overboard.

WTF, I was already a Soldier stationed in I Corps, Vietnam on top of a steep hill prepatring for ambush. It was pretty comical when I showed it to my Brothers. I gave it to the CO who said he would handle it.

1970, after 2 year's of Navy SEABEES waiting for me to enlist. I did join. Half way through "boot camp", mail call brought mine. O boy i thought, break from "boot camp". Took mine letter to "drill commander", Chief Rutledge. He looked at it. Dropped it the garbage can. ah Sir, can i have that back? Fuck NO, get back to work. I joined because i owed, AMERICA.

Handed mine to my FSGT and he laughed tossed it in the trash and told me to get out.

I was 3 weeks into Boot Camp (Great Lakes) when my notice arrived at home. Dad, a WWII vet) sent it on to me and one fine evening we all gathered about and burned that baby. Went to 24 years in uniform.