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

COL Burroughs:
It seems I read somewhere when Countries fail with diplomatic dialog exchanges , comes the first step towards war,of course there are sanctions which have strong influences towards settling differences.
I do not know what kind of discussions or sanctions that may have preceded the Vietnam War,
My Country called and I answered ( not knowing anything ) however before my group shipped
out we were called together for the Commanders speech,
He began his by saying your Country would not have you ignorant to the why's you are going to Vietnam, He began his speech with the updating of the spread of Communism ,
He spoke of Communist Red China pushing south through through North Vietnam into south Vietnam , A people that wanted nothing to do with Communism , our job for the south was introducing Democracy!helping by force pushing back on the North hopefully to gain the victory !
He also spoke of Communist Russia and Khrushchev boasting they would bury us !
he then spoke of how near Communism was to the USA ( Cuba )
How these decisions come about likely through Military Commanders and leaders of our Country,
I think the Chain of command ( especially present ) administration is leading blindly with out knowing
what they are doing. The end to my thoughts.

Col Burroughs:
I received my Draft in 1963 , I was a-bit nervous about it ,however I reported as ordered to my induction, was given a check up, recited the Constitution , saluted the Flag and off to Basis Training.
it was not until three years later Orders came for my entire shop for Vietnam, About 6 in the shop, I hadn't been there a full year at this base as yet and by AF rule I wasn't supposed to be shipped to another base before one yr at present duty station, of course every-one was not in the best of moods with exception of myself which I felt was lucky, I made the mistake of laughing at my buddies, really wrong thing thing to do, really pissed off our NCOIC ! if I had just not laughed, he was so mad at me,
he marched out the door and was gone about an hour before coming back with my orders ! but, but, but I said what the hell ! the whole situation changed and reality set in, and only deteriorated to a very high RED X situation when later that evening laying on my bunk listening to the news when a News announcement stopped the program I was listening to stated that Bien Hoa Airbase in Vietnam was being attacked with Rockets and Mortars , seriously this wasn't good ! this is the base I had received orders for, I thought really I don't want to go there ! ( please Mr Custer ) I've got to go see the Chaplin first thing in the morning ! after more serous thought what it would do to my service discharge plus a half dozen other things I decided
not to see the Chaplin, was sent to Hamilton AFB for Pre Vietnam Training. Vietnam was every bit of what I had heard on the news, and that my Rally Point friends is all can share.

My third draft notice was forwarded to me by mail and it said that if I did not report for induction an arrest warrant would be served on me! I replied that They could come and get me as I had enlisted at age 15 and was currently in Korea! this was the Kansas City Draft board. never heard from them again!

I never got drafted but signed up 17 got my selective service notice at a APO address in Germany.

When I got my draft notice the only US military presence in Vietnam consisted of “Advisers”, so I’m not sure I qualify to respond to this question. However, some 40 years later the local-property-tax authorities told me I qualified for a “Vietnam-Era veteran” tax-break, so I guess it’s OK. Shortly after I got my notice, I took my wife to a nearby motel to celebrate our first wedding anniversary and soon thereafter I reported for processing into the Army. My father gave me the same advice he apparently gave the older of my two brothers when he completed Navel ROTC and went on active duty, which was “Keep your nose clean and do what you’re told.” After Basic and 2nd-Eight I walked across the Pacific (guard duty aboard the troop ship) and reported to 8th-Army HQ which was not exactly tough duty except for the separation from my bride. One of my buddies there was transferred to Vietnam to join the advisors, but the only “shooting war” that came close was an occasional encounter in the DMZ by a patrol and one incident when North Korean guard fired in the direction of an officer (also a Stevenson) who the guard thought was too close to the dividing line.
I got extended in Korea for several months when the Berlin Wall went up and left active duty as a Sergeant after returning to the States (walking back across the Pacific—this time a Sergeant of the Guard”). Spent time in the Active Reserve, getting a reserve commission in the process, and was discharged as a 1st Lt. after having “done my duty” for my 6-year commitment. I can’t say how I would have reacted if I hadn’t been drafted until later and had been sent into the “shooting war”. However, I admire all those who were as well as those who volunteered and did their duty for the country (as well as my grandson now serving in the 82nd Airborne).

Graduated from Indiana University as a 2/LT. INFANTRY so never got a draft notice. Went to Vietnam as a Huey pilot.

I got my Selective Service card while I was in basic training during mail call. I asked one of the Drill Sergeants if I could borrow their lighter. He asked what for. I told him I was going to burn it. He gave me his lighter and I proceeded to burn it in front of everyone.

Never got one and didn't get a draft card until I ETSed. Sure caught hell st the induction center when we were told to turn in our draft cards. Enlisted the day I turned 18 and had to wait 3 1/2 months for a slot to open.

I got my draft notice in June 1966. My girlfriend and I and had a baby together and were intending to get married and she turned 18 later in the year. After getting the notice we decided to hurry up the wedding which we had on August 27, 1966 and 10 days later I reported for the draft. When they discovered I was married with 15 month old son and they weren’t drafting married guys with kids! I was pulled aside told I was waiting. They called my draft board in my hometown and they said draft me anyway as I wasn’t married when I got the notice. So I joined the line of all the guys being drafted at that moment. They went down the line, pointing at each guy saying “Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marines. The guy to my right went to the Marines and I got Army. I didn’t know at the time that I was very lucky but I was!

Never got one. In the 1970 (I think) lottery, my birthday got me #258, and they only went to around 200 that year. That same lottery my high school best friend "won" #5, he enlisted in the Air Force.