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

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.

I was at Dong ha, just back from Operation Prarie I wrote them a nice letter advising them I would be happy to report to their office if they would arrange for transportation. They didn't respond, I think they got the message though as i filled in my unit which at that time was 3/4 and wrote a big FREE on the envelope

I never recieved a draft notice. I enlisted in USMC in March of 62, shipped 14 days after graduation in June.

Registered for the draft in January 1968. Had graduated high school in 67, but had not yet decided on college. Was working at an auto dealership and decided to attend a local community college to attain my 2S deferment. All went well until Christmas of 68 when I decided to not return back to my classes. Then came March 1969 and my 2S reverted to 1A and my notice to report arrived. Down I went to my Navy Recruiter and said something like “can you do something about this? I don’t look good in green”. After a bunch of tests he said he had a spot in the Advanced Electronics program - for a six year enlistment. The rest is history. Two years of ET A schools and numerous C schools, two years at a submarine commsta and two years aboard a fast combat support ship as Leading ET.

Received notice May 1968 -I decided to enlist in what was available at the time Army or Marines -my choice- the Army -- I don't like confinement to a ship or looking at water

I was three months as a W1 on my first tour in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot. Needless to say, I did not report. I wrote my father who had a great laugh. He knew two of the board members as personal friends and shared the irony.