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

Great question Colonel, and boy do I wish that I still had that "Greetings" letter! Personally, I'd had very little if any input from my parents regarding the war or the draft...I think in those days it was kind of assumed (at least in my social circles in a small town) that you went to college, or you joined the military, willingly, or not. I wasn't ready for either the military or higher education, so I "played the odds", hoping to avoid being drafted if at all possible. My method for avoiding the draft was to move frequently, hoping that I could stay one step ahead, and that they'd eventually get tired of trying to chase me down...I was wrong. I got my official notice in July of 1967 and was sworn in the following month; and I'm thankful to this day. My thoughts at that moment? Game over, they won, I'm going.

As for my stance on the war, well again, maybe it's a "small town" thing, but I don't recall having much of an opinion one way or another regarding the "right or wrong" of it...simply put, even at that tender young age I knew that decisions like that were way, way beyond my pay grade. As I mention above, I wasn't thrilled about the prospect of going off to war, but I wasn't willing to run off to Canada to avoid my duty to my Country either...that was NOT going to happen.

I spent nearly four years active, and 20 in the Army Reserves, and to this day I wonder how different my life would have turned out if I'd not been drafted. If I ran the zoo I'd reinstate the draft tomorrow!

1a45, I sat in front of the tv and waited for Nixon to say if he signed the peace accord and ended the draft, was ready to go, but he signed. I enlisted later enlisted any way, vetran like my father before me.

Located near the Canadian border (Buffalo), many fled to be Canadian citizens.
My parents had no influence on me and the war.
At the draft board induction physical I saw several popping down sugar cubes, to raise their sugar levels. Two that knew each other were faking homosexuality, and they got pulled out of the line. My first meal voucher was for lunch next door at Frank & Theresa's Anchor bar, the inventor of Buffalo wings!

While in Vietnam, my parents sold my '66 Mustang.
50 years later I bought a new Mustang GT-Premium with active valve exhaust!

I received my draft notice while in recruit training at GLakes. I never questioned the government's position nor with enlisting since it was almost a tradition for me as well as an obligation. My father had served in the Army Air Corps during the Second World War; he had two brothers who fought in Europe, one in the 82nd Airborne, the other in the 101st (surrounded at Bastogne); both had arrived at Normandy before the invasion, were decorated, and both were awarded the Purple Heart among other medals. Another uncle served in the infantry during the same time in Europe. One cousin was a Navy First Class Petty Officer who served during the Korean War. Two other cousins were Marines, one of whom served in Vietnam. My son served in a helo squadron during the Gulf War on the Kennedy (CV-67). I spent six years as an Aviation Electronics Tech (made 2nd Class) before discharge but went back in the reserves 15 years later, starting over as an E-4, and ended up retiring as a Chief in 2006.

Amusement. I was at RTC Great Lakes going through basic training. I gave the notice to my Chief, and he said he's take care of it. Never heard anything else.

I laughed as I was already in USN Bootcamp...

Never really got the official draft notice.I enlisted in the army at age 17 while I was living in Childress TX. I was released from active duty 23 Dec 1959.Got home got a job in a city about 60 miles from Childress.Summer of 1960 I got a warning letter from draft board Childress county saying I had not registered for draft and the next message I got from them would be draft notice,I made copies of my DD214,my Selective service card,mialed them to draft board,I asked them if that was enough info or did they need more.At this time I have not yet recieved a reply.

I was 20 years old, working for IBM. I had a 2-year-old house, a new car and a motorcycle for a playtoy. I was shocked. My dad had been a marine and I believed that when the country called a man responded. I reported, served a tour in 'Nam, made it home. No regrets

I was sorting through my mail and thought it was my tax refund. Opened it up... "Greetings". When I reported to the draft board, they gave me a voucher for lunch at the greasy spoon next door. Ah, my first meal after being sworn in... beans.

I was already in the Navy when my draft notice came and deployed to the Med. I wrote back and explained my situation and that I already had an active duty classification. Draft board replied that I had better report or else. Ship's captain sent a letter verifying I was on active duty, it was unreasonable to expect me to travel so far back to Virginia, and forme to join another service without being first being discharged constituted desertion. I never heard from them again.