I was drafted into the military in December 1965. I just received a telegram that told me to report for a physical in preparation for induction. At that point, they just selected men randomly from those of age and availability. Of course the, Vietnam War was heating up. More and more guys were getting called.
There was a lot of kick-back by young people during the years leading up to 1969. Protests raged around the country with regard to the war and how it was being handled. One of the complaints was that men could not plan their lives.
The government came up with this solution. Every day of the year was given a number by lottery, 1 thru 366, for the following year. If your birth date had a low number, say 1 thru 195, you were very likely to get drafted.
Solving one problem often causes another. One of the results was that many of those with low numbers moved out of the country - most to Canada. Thousands ran. The words 'draft dodgers' were heard in the news every day.
In 1977 with the war behind us, President Jimmy Carter offered a pardon to all draft dodgers fulfilling one of his election promises. It still makes me sick.
^o^
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