In 1968 when I turned 18, I registered for the draft.
Had lot's of returning vets telling us high schoolers, "Don’t go unless you just HAVE to!"
Before I graduated in 1969, I recieved an updated draft card rating me "1A" on June 1, 1969!
I immediately went to my local draft board and filed for a college deferment. It went through.
I enrolled in college in Sept 1969.
Didn't take me long to figure out I wasn't college material. The only class I passed was PE!
Fortunately, LBJ decided to institute the draft.
If not, they were fixing to snatched me up!
My draft lottery number was "324"!
LBJ claimed he would draft up to number 275.
No chance for me to be drafted, I dropped out of school and went back to work.
When the hostilities were over (?) in 1973, I had four years service, a pretty cushy job making really good money for a 22 year old at the time.
It was a "union" job!
Had I been drafted, my seniority would have continued.
If I volunteered for the military, they would have held my job, but I would have lost all previous seniority.
I couldn't see throwing that seniority away, so I didn't join after 'Nam.
Way too late in life, it dawned on me that I could have helped myself personally and developmentally had I just joined and tossed the seniority. But, alas!!!
Friend that graduated 2 years ahead of me, volunteered for combat in 'Nam three times. They kept him in Germany his entire enlistment.
Last edited by MartinStrummer; 09/28/23.
