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

I wasn't drafted, enlisted in USMC in 1968

Dad volunteered me in early 70s …I wasn’t drafted …in my family back then my brothers weren’t allowed to get drafted …especially if we wanted to go to college …and yes that war was ALL POLITICAL

I didn't get a notice I joined on my own

Thank you SSgt David Mork.

i never received a draft caed, i joined the army when i was 17

I throughly enjoyed reading through many of these posts. It makes you appreciate those who’ve worm the uniform past and present even more. We all have experiences that we’ll never forget, no matter how long ago…those who were drafted, man I couldn’t imagine being told I’d have to serve if that was never something that I planned on doing and I applaud you for having the courage to face the unknown. Thank you all for sharing….makes me proud to have followed in the footsteps of great men.

Never got one, enlisted in the USAF in '60 long before my number came up

Volunteered for draft. Get it over with and do it in two years

I received 2 notices at different times after being separated. I dutifully reported and sure enough, I still had a prosthesis.

I was a medical intern at Los Angeles General Hospital and I looked at it with a lot of fear. After a few days someone told me that if I did nothing, I would be a private in the U.S. Army but, if I enlisted I would be commissioned and function as a Medical Officer. Therefore, I enlisted, was commissioned but remained as dumb as ever, military wise. I received orders to report for active duty at Fort Sam Huston so I asked the airline person where that was and she thought it must be Huston so I got a ticket there. I stopped off to visit a classmate who was in the Public Health Service and he salvaged the situation and I was able to report as properly ordered. I went through "doctors boot camp" where frustrated Sergeants tried to herd this company size of newly minted Captain doctors as if they were soldiers and interested in being soldiers. Still I finished, got sent to Korea and moved to Vietnam after a couple months staying there the rest of the tour of duty figuring that I wouldn't be be able to survive in the stateside army. Despite all this I look back at my service as one of the most important two years of my life and treasure the time.