Draft number.

[OFT II]

I was twenty when I signed up for the draft in late June of 1965. They gave me a strange look and asked why I didn't sign up at the age of eighteen. I had to go home and get my DD-214 and show them that I had just gotten out of the army after three years. I had signed up just after high school about three months shy of my eighteenth birthday. My draft status turned out to be 4A for prior service.

 

[brick]

Second year of lottery, number 349.

 

[max]

I graduated from college in June of 69. I turned down a teaching deferment and volunteered for the draft. I went in on 17 July and RVN 16 December. No idea about a draft #.

 

[pappabear]

In 69 my # was 26

 

[ladder13]

I graduated HS at 16 years old. Didn't know what to do with myself so took a free college education courtesy of City University NY system.
Hated school, hung out for almost 3 years getting sto... After some introspection(the student deferment thing), I dropped out to await my fate, as I drew 127 in the 1st lottery.
One month out of school, a letter in the mail with 2 subway tokens, report on such and such date(forgot the date, early 1970) for a physical. Off to Fort Hamilton it was, the famous Whitehall St Induction Center was bombed some 6 months earlier.

I remember walking around in my underwear and a pouch with my ID, DL, change, etc.
Went thru the whole process, and remember standing in front of officers from each one of the services, the induction board?

There were about 10 of us standing there. Marine officer stood up and asked for 3 volunteers to step foward for the Corps, no one moved. Many people were unaware that the Marines drafted people.
The officer then called out 3 names(actually a correction, some of my memories are a bit vague, must have been the times, lol. Marine pointed at 3 randomly) and those guys were going to be Marines. I heard at least one guy sobbing.

They told me I was 1Y(no explanation ), only to serve at wartime . This wasn't a war?
Anyways, I was happy and sad at the same time. I still have my draft card.

Neighborhood friends Tommy Mcgarry and Barry Levinson never came back home alive.

I tried to join the Guard back in 2001 after the WTC, but was told I was too old without prior service.

One of my regrets in life.

 

[kantuck]

Never had a number.

Volunteered in Feb. 62, served for 22 years and retired in Apr. 84.

Didn't go to Canada

Didn't dodge

Just did my duty. I was one of the 3%

In a(sort of) related thought-what was Muhammad Ali's number? He's in our KY news this week as the politicians want to tear down or move Jefferson Davis's statue as not culturally sensitive. Ali is one of those not dead folks that is getting mentioned as a statue replacement. I guess it's a refreshing change from politicians honoring themselves as the good guys?
I'd make a law against naming anything for any politician-road,building school so on.

 

[wbraswell]

I remember being at college in the frat house, listening to the radio, sweating it out. February 1972, I was 242 and I considered that winning.

 

[wnwitzell]

In 1970, my draft number was 4!

 

[Double-O-Dave]

I graduated high school in May, 1974. I was eighteen years old, patriotic, poor, and not very bright. I volunteered and joined the Army on February 14, 1975 (yeah, I told you I wasn't very bright) so I could serve our great country, and have a future for myself. I was one of the last of the original GI Bill guys and had to leave the service in 1980 or lose all of my GI Bill benefits. I earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree with the assistance of the GI Bill, and I tried to reenter the service after 9/11 and wasn't allowed to because of my service connected disabilities (I'm still P.O.'d about that!).

Thank you Rustyt1953 for starting this thread, and thank you to all who have served our great nation.

Regards,

Dave

 

[brucev]

Graduated HS in 1974. Registered when I turned 18 yr. old. Never had any further contacts with the folks running the draft. Would have been fine if they had called. Think that every single male age 18 or over should be registered. Every single one of them should be required to do a minimum of 4 yrs. service. And... every single woman over 18 yrs. old should be drafted... and put to work in some inner city school, etc. It''d be good for them. Then... later... if they wanted to go to college, etc., fine. They'd be better off going after four years of service to the nation rather than going to college when they know absolutely nothing about life, the universe or anything else. Sincerely. brucev.

 

[16thVACav]

I remember my number well - 320. I had just completed my first year of ROTC, and I was on the rifle team (definitely not the first string!).

 

[gwgw60]

I clearly remember my draft lottery number: What I can't clearly remember is if it was 1969 or 1970. At least it was the first drawing after the draft came back. I became a # 1.

 

[S&WIowegan]

I never had a number but I sure got drafted. In 1964 there were deferments galore but I opted to get drafted. Two years in the Army plus four yrs. inactive reserve(all reserve units were full). Worked out great for me and I'm a proud PFC(retired).

 

[11B Lifer]

Bad times

37- dodged by student deferment-had no intention of going into the Army-Commissioned as an Infantry officer '76-Became Regular Army 1980-
We are fortunate that so many very special citizens volunteer to serve-To all of you who have taken the oath-thank you.

 

[Buckingham]

As best as I can remember, after I graduated HS in 65 at age 17, I got married and forgot my dream of joining the USMC and winning the war all by myself (didn't say I had any common sense). Anyway, I enlisted in the USAF delayed enlistment program. A week or two later I got a draft notice. Not a problem said my recruiter. I had an easy time of it (the war) compared to the boots on the ground in 'Nam'. I was there in 68 and again in 72-73 but I was fixin' B-52s. In the rear with the gear (something I occasionally regret, at least the dumb part of me). Later, my son, went USMC and just retired 3 or 4 years ago. I doubt he would ever have been born if I had followed my first inclination and went to war wide-eyed and bushy-tailed.

 

[hoosierone]

Enlisted two weeks after turning 18. Would have done it sooner but parents didn't want me to. My father was WWII Infantry. Did my three years and got out just as Viet Nam was heating up. So being 18 and having no direction in life, I made a choice that saved me from Viet Nam which I never believed we belonged in.

 

[ACORN]

Class of 73. My "random sequence number" was 49. Another in my class was 2.

I never understood. I registered but never took a physical and was classified either 1F or 4A (can't remember which) which at the time was a temporary classification until I was re-classified. Later I got notice I was now 1A. I could have been deaf, blind, etc. but 1A.

 

[fiasconva]

Graduated from college in '71. My lottery no. was 124 and cutoff in my county was 125. Lady at draft board said, "We'll get you." Joined Air Force as soon as the draft notice arrived.

 

[RWJ]

The Draft ended a couple of months before I was eligible, but I registered as soon as I turned 18. Kept the card all these years - I'd love to use it as a form of government-issued ID sometime, but 1) I don't think anyone would recognize it for what it is, and 2) the hair that is left is now gray, and the weight is just a tad higher..... by about 30 lbs . They pulled numbers for us, but I wasn't that close to worry.

 

[cowart]

I was an AF dependent living overseas in 1965. They started allowing overseas enlistments due to the huge AF buildup at that time. Myself and 3 others got sworn in by my dad's base commander, a brigadier general, so that he could get his picture in the paper. All 4 of us were given consecutive left-over WWII era serial numbers. Basic training was shortened to 4 weeks due to the huge influx. Got sent to Alaska instead of Vietnam.

There was a corresponding need to get rid of all of us in 1969 when the AF was cut way back. So, everybody due to leave in the last 9 months of 1969 was ejected in February of 1969 instead.