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

Being an Army brat, the service was all I lived for. My father, Co!. Herres was one of the first advisors sent to Vietnam in 1955. I returned 13 years after he came home. I did my best to follow him. What more can a son do for his country!

My "Greetings from Uncle Sam" draft notice came the day before I left for AF basic training (Oct 1967). I was very happy that I was accepted by the AF. At the Induction Center (Los Angeles, CA) there was 4 painted lines on the floor - green was Army, red was Marines, white was Navy, and blue was AF. You followed the lines for your service. Funny thing was they would go down the Army line and pick guys and drag them over to the Marines.
My stance on the war was we should have been in it to win it. Politics lost that war.
My dad was a WW11 vet so no problems with them, however, my hippie girl friend decided that being in the military was "not cool" and she became a fond memory.

Enlisted USMC, returned from Viet Nam, got out in 1968. Was classified 4-A. I had served so why did I need any classification? Found out 4-A meant prior service. Who knew?

Joined naval reserve in June 1963 at 17. Registered for draft at 18 and was classified 1-D as a reservist. Called to AD in July 1965. While deployed to Med, my draft notice arrived at home. Mother contacted draft board and forwarded a warning letter to me. Captain wrote letter explaining that it would be desertion if I reported for induction without a navy discharge first. Draft Board left me alone after that. Eventually retired after 32 years in naval reserve and army reserve. Vietnam was a righteous cause lost by politicians not the military.

I was surprised since I was a senior in electrical engineering at Berkeley (five years) but did not fight it and spent 17 months in Italy working on electronics.

In July of 1984 I was in my second week of Medical Specialist training at Ft. Sam Houston, in San Antonio Texas when I received a urgent call from my Dad informing me that I had received my draft notice from the Selective Service Board in Richmond, VA. I immediately reported this information to my commanding Officer who intern had my Dad forward it to him. Our JAG office responded and I was informed by my CO, the matter had been settled.

A little off the subject but related. I joined the army right after graduating from HS. Some of my friends laughed at me. I spent 3 years in air defense and re-enlisted and was stationed at a recruiting main station 60 miles from my home town. There I got the last laugh. I was there testing and processing many of my classmates, other acquaintance, and kin who were being drafted. I just looked at them and smiled. Did have discussions with a few encouraging them to enlist in the army.

I don’t know what a draft notice or draft card looks like I enlisted at 18 on Birthday...does that make me a bad man or that age a bad boy?? Mani tickle me when I hit country they call me baby son look at my profile photo.

Never received a draft notice. Enlisted in the Marines. If one was sent, it never caught up to me.
USMC 69-91

I was at work at Sander's 66 gas station and my Mom brought it to me at work. She said it looked official and I should see what it was all about. At nineteen years of age I had been drafted.

I watched the news every day on the war and cursed all the demonstrators religiously. I explained to my Mom that I had a reporting date and that I was going in the military. I reported to the induction station in Abilene, TX. along with 20 or so others. They told us to form a rank and proceeded to walk down the line tapping us on the shoulder and designating each of us as Army, or Marine. That's how it all started.

My stance on the war was it had lasted way too long and I had made up my mind that when the time came I would be there to do my part. We had learned about Communism in school and this war was preventing the spread of it in that country.

My parents didn't have an education and therefore didn't understand the politics of it but believed that we should all do our part as Americans and there you have it. The following twenty years I would repeat over again if asked to do so. No regrets.