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

for me,it was a great news to get out of a schitt hole known as " Seldon, Long Island, N.Y. but the Govt. screwed up Big Time ! while there was someone with the same name as me, I am an orphan ! being the last one alive, I wasn't supposed to be drafted,but I did enlist spent most of my time in Europe, 1972-83. After Granada, I decided I needed a new "Career Path" eventually I got into the nuclear power industry, now retired living La Dolce Vita in So. Florida












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I knew when to expect my draft notice because I had been staying in touch with the lady who ran the local board (Mrs. Ford of Draft Board number 10 in San Antonio). I wanted to enlist, rather than be drafted, and wanted to choose my own date to leave, so I could remain employed as an AF civilian as long as possible. (I also wanted a commissioning program, if possible.) I asked Mrs. Ford if she would mind if I called her each month, to get an idea of the timing (in the early fall of '65), and she said she wouldn't mind at all. So I took the exams for commissioning programs in the AF, Army and Navy, and after passing them all, determined that only the Army would allow me to serve less than 48 months, the maximum length of time the personnel regs would allow me to be absent, and still reclaim my civilian job. When I called Mrs. Ford about the first of November, she told me she had her quotas filled for December and January '67 but would need to call me up in February. I then asked her if it would be OK if I enlisted in the Army in January; she said sure, just to let her know when I had done that. So I made arrangements for my WATT (wife at the time) to return to her parents' home in Scotland, notified my apartment manager of my plan to vacate the apartment, and informed my boss and the civilian personnel office at AF Security Service of my intent to take "military leave", with my last day at work to be Friday, 18 January; and at 0700 on Monday 21 January, my dad dropped me off at the Armed Forces Recruiting Center in downtown San Antonio. The plan worked just fine. But I really screwed up in choosing clothes to take with me to Ft Jackson, S.C.: it was warm and sunshiney in San Antonio but colder than a bear's behind in Charleston S.C. Holy smokes, was it cold! The water pipes froze in the wooden barracks and my squad had trouble keeping the fire going in the pot-bellied coal stove. Half the basic training company came down with pneumonia, me included. Got to spend a few days in the hospital, and learned that patient gowns are not to be worn like a shirt; kind of scandalized the nurses the first time I walked down the hall to the latrine. One of them had told me not to wear anything under it, so that's what I did. I was just following orders.

I felt a sense of obligation and apprehension. The Vietnam War was going strong and I knew wha was going to happen. I took my physical and was disgusted by all the lame physical excuses the others were making. I have a curved spine and was asked several times by the doctor if I wanted to be declared unfit, but I refused because it was dishonest. After being sworn in I went directly to the Navy recruiter and signed up for 4 years rather than two in the Army. My family was Navy for a couple of generations until my son made a full career in the Army.

I graduated from high school in 1965. I had signed up with the USMC delayed entry and left for Parris Island eleven days after graduation. The war was just cranking up and I felt patriotic. I arrived in country in Nov 67. In Mar 68, 3/1 was operating on Rt. 9, sure enough Indian country! When LBJ announced he wasn't seeking reelection, I was glad. When he said we were going to stop bombing the North and the Ho Trail I thought he'd lost his mind. He'd decided to lose the war!

First thought was that I have to let my Senior Drill know I have to leave basic to go home to report to the draft board.

My draft notice arrived 2 days after I enlisted. I was glad that I enlisted to get the school that I wanted. The training I received in the Army served me extremely well after separation.

Well, I got mine when I turned 18 during the lottery. #154 so little chance of being selected. Four years later, I was stuck in the same grind and wanted something Different. So in April 75 I enlisted under the delayed enlistment program, went in in September of that year and made A1C out of basic. No regrets of any kind. I believe I was a good strong minded Airman and hoped I provided leadership and comradery during that time. I was a nit picker in basic and as my career went. I did my best while performing my duty and expected nothing less from those I supervised. I had done and did do the same things I asked of them. Figured we were all in it together.

I remember my uncle telling me he found his draft notice on the kitchen table after coming after the bars closed. Greetings. Your friend and neighbors selected you. He went outside at 2:00 am looking for his friends and neighbors. In 1951

I was already in the USAF for almost 2 years, over seas and flying on B52's when my folks sent me my draft notice. First Shirt said he would "Take Care of it"

I laughed until my stomach hurt... I was already in the Corps, Combat veteran, sitting in a hooch overseas.... It had a return address on it, so I wrote them a letter rejecting my notice by saying it did not apply to me... Yehaah! did that raise some eyebrows back home... Dad said he laughed so hard when they sent two deputies to the house to arrest me for draft dodging... He showed them a picture of me in uniform standing next to a sign written in English/Korean "You are in the DMZ." Funny as how those good old boys on that board had never served nor did their kids ever serve in the military.. I still chuckle over that once in a while... John