My number was 251 in the first lottery. I had dropped out of college after one year and my fiance had given me the boot in the spring of 69. My best friend and I received our notices to appear on the same day in July. He picked me up and we sang "Alice's Restaurant" all the way down. I was ambivalent. Crummy job, no girl, sick of school so here we go was my attitude.
The Omaha office was processing 300 guys a day with a facility and personnel designed to do 50 per day. Jammed in like sardines. I'll never forget standing in a very small room with a bunch of guys all in our underwear, paper slippers and little paper bag with our valuables.
It was kind of like old home week. A lot of the guys from my high school were in there as well. Some of them were the "tough" guys every school has. A couple of them were pissed and looked it. The more I looked at them the more I wanted to laugh. Hard to look tough in your underwear, paper slippers and holding your little paper bag. It was very funny in my opinion. I burst out laughing and had the "medics" all over my ***. LOL I don't care what ya say, it's still funny.
Unbeknownst to me I had already failed my phsical. I was 3lbs under minimum weight for my height. The head doc told me he would call my skinny *** back in 90 days to see if I put on enough weight. As I was leaving the guys who were accepted were in a line with a guy walking down the line sending every other one to the Marines.
The first lottery was a few weeks later and I received a number of 256. I received a notice making me 1-y in December. I never heard from them again. In case anyone is wondering I was 6ft and weighed 128lbs. I had the flu 2 weeks prior to the physical. I didn't get much heavier till I got married 7 years later. Weighed a massive 145 then. I now try to keep my weight around 200lbs. My wife is 1/2 German 1/2 Polish I rest my case.
My respect to all those who served. "What a long strange trip it's been."
