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

I dont think I ever saw it. I was in basic at Ft. Wood when it came.

I dodged the draft by volunteering. So never saw my notice.

Oh,Oh...what??
I took the notice to our NROTC class assistant QMC who said, “I’ve got it. We’ll inform your board.”
This was 1964 just as Vietnam was about to heat up. 6yrs later, I was there as a volunteer.

I showed it to my Parent,School(High School,Guidance counselor,And They all said you better go down town and sign up
I had only wondered if it was one you only signed up for if I was not in school,But it was on That ,I had to sign up on a D E P :Delay Enlistment plan And I did sign up and They came around all of that year and all the way until I graduated.Things was so hectic graduating High School,And I did. Thereafter I spent like a whole 18 -24 hour day at the Afees station,And all was set.zAnd after the entire day, They asked me for my Diploma, And I did not know I was to bring it we with me,So I asked to let me go and I would retrieve it. But they had a better idea, A escort all the way to my momas' place together and put the Diploma in their hands.And A fast ride back.

I actually never opened mine. I was stationed at Base St. Louis when my greetings came. My dad opened it, and if memory serves, passed it on to my recruiter who took care of it. Had I gotten it, I probably would have handled it about like Cpt. Jack below.

My dad joined the Air Force when he was 17 in 1956. He was already overseas when he got his draft notice. I joined the Army when I was 17. Although there was no longer a draft, I still had to “register” when I was 18.

My friends and I have been out of high school a couple of months. We had been to the horse races that day and having had our fill of milk and cookies at the track we decided to stop by the draft office that day. This was 1969. We asked the lady to check and see where our names were on the list. She checked and stated that our names weren’t on the list. Laughing we started out the door. She said wait just a minute and take these envelopes with you. There were 5 envelopes lying on the corner of her desk waiting to be mailed. The letters began with the word “Greetings”. I was in Vietnam by Dec 1969

Col(R) CR Martin

Oh shit! I had just graduated from college and was weighing the options of Army OCS or Air Force OTS when I received my draft notice. I thought my plans were buggered until I called both recruiters, who told me "If you enlist before your draft date you're OK". I selected the Army because the commitment was about a year less. I hated the Army, and like about 50% of the OCS/College Option candidates I trained with, dropped out after Basic. Nevertheless, I had to go to 11B training at Ft Dix.
When I arrived at the Ft Carson repo depot, I was assigned as a personnel clerk in the 5th Inf Div (Mech).
I fortuitously managed to get my MOS changed to 71H. When I arrived in Nam, at the Long Binh repo depot in Feb '69, I was assigned to the Capital Military Assistance Command (G-2) in Saigon. Initially a clerk, I finished my tour as the NCOIC of G-2 TOC. I made good decisions when in the Army, which were aided by thoughtful NCO's.
Like many young men of my age, I did not have a clear picture of the war before interring the Army. However, working with the ARVN and living among the Vietnamese, it soon became clear that they did not want to be fighting other Vietnamese. Consequently, they were less than aggressive, but had to do anything they could to survive economically.

Oh SHIT!

I didn't believe it was happening to me. After the swearing in, we were told "Every 5th guy step forward. You are Marines!" Missed me by one. Off we went to Fort Dix. Guys were crying on the bus ride. Then off I went to Fort Polk and then the Jungle Safari.