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

After graduating High School mid-year and attending the local community college for a semester -a and failing totally. I just wasn't ready for the level of academics, and self control. Knowing that since I would no longer have a deferment, I chose to enlist in the Army for a logistics field. Father was a Marine in WW2, and told all of us (5 boys) that if any of us enlisted in the Corps, it had better be a remf job or he would kick out butt.. E4 out of AIT, RVN, Germany, 4th ID(E6) and DA decided that they had enough of my MOS - retrained with the local Cavalry Squadron (10th Cav) and became a Scout (11D - later 19D). Cannot say that I regret any of my actions and career, just some of the opportunities that I didn't take. HOOHAH!

My recruiter sent me over to the local draft board to pick up my pre induction physical report . They had a hard time finding my records until they asked a clerk who said she had just finished my draft notice. But since I was enlisting they didn't draft me.

Enlisted 4 years in the U.S. Army Security Agency. I was going to be a spy, so I thought. My MOS was 05Delta20 Radio Direction Finding. Got to the Nam and found that they were over slotted by 75 05D20's. Imagine, the Army making a mistake like that. Anyway they gave me the next best thing 05B20 RTO. Needless to say it was an awesome experience. That spy thing never really worked out.

I never got one. When they started the draft lottery my number was really high. At 26 I decided to enlist because my father and brother had served.

Registered on my 18th birthday in "73"; by that time they weren't calling anyone up, so I never received a notice. After high school I joined the Army Reserves and attended college for a couple of years. Then enlisted in the Active Army and stayed till I retired after 20 years. Long time ago I got curious, did some research and discovered that I did have a lottery number of 326.

I enlisted in the Corps before they sent me a notice. As for parents putting ideas in my head, I am sure upbringing had a lot to do with my attitudes, but I've always thought for myself. And my thoughts on that war are the same now as they were when I went in. We were sent to do a job, and we did it. If there was "wrong" or certainly "dishonor" it lies with politicians sending men to war with no intentions of winning, and with the radical left who committed treason giving aid, comfort and support to the enemy. We could argue about the corruption in South Vietnamese politics or whether or not we should have went. It's a moot point! We did go, and we should have went to win- but that is on the politicians and not the military that we did not. Since we did go, we should have invaded and taken N Vietnam, dared the Chinese to cross the border as they did in Korea, captured the munitions sent by Russia and returned them to dissidents in the Soviet block countries.

My 18th birthday came several days after HS graduation. Within a month, I had reported to the USMA and was sworn into the Army. My memory falls a little short on the mechanics of my draft registration, but since my card indicates "ENL", it likely was several months later. It's not entirely inaccurate to say I had avoided (not evaded) the draft by attending an all-male vocational school in upstate New York.

I volunteered for the Draft!

I had just flunked out in my 1st.yr. Of college (64) so two buds and myself were debating on what branch. My dad was a marine and one of my buds was serving in the Navy. We questioned him and he said, the USCG. Away we went for 13 weeks. I got the Ninth District, Mike made CWO2. Spent a lot of time in Norfolk. Got out with 26 yrs. Steamed all over the world. Seen it all. Heart attack 3 yrs. ago. Other buddy spent 4 and died of booze. Never seen him again. Me 4 yrs, E-4. Never left the Great Lakes. Still wished I went in the Navy.

still got my notice,...when I looked at my Mom crying wondering what was going on, she just handed me the envelope...when I saw who it was from my ass fell to the floor and all I could think was awww sh**...my step dad kinda smiled( WW2 vet) and said..."Bet your ass gets a haircut now" as he puffed on his pall mall and sucked down his Pabst Blue Ribbon.....