[xzins]

I just joined at 18 out of high school in late 1970. My number was 44 the year before, I didn't have college money, and my cousin joined because his number was pulled. We did the "buddy system" thing in BCT.

He went to Nam and I didn't. Luck of the draw in 1971, I guess.

So, you're telling me that a deferment took your name out of the lottery EVEN IF your birthdate was one of the ones selected. (Was it a double lottery...one for birthdate and then one for name? Or did they just start with the "A's" and work their way to the "Z's?")

[wideawake]

So, you're telling me that a deferment took your name out of the lottery

When the Vice President was draftable there was not yet a lottery. The lottery began in 1969.

As another poster pointed out, they sent you a draft notice and you filled out an accompanying form if you had deferment status and then you mailed it back.

[SCALEMAN]

The lottery was a 'random' drawing of dates. You can probably find the sequence with a good web search. Your birth-date coincided with one of the dates, and the sequence in which it was drawn was your 'place in line' to be drafted. One of the ironies was if your particular draft board had a high number of enlistees, you could skate with a low lottery number.

[steve8714]

College deferments ended with the lottery, unless you had a defense related major or a defense contractor internship. Here many guys got hired at McDonnell Aircraft and stayed out that way.

[LisaFab]

Please see the link in my post #35. The draft lottery was most certainly still in effect in early 1973. If Edwards was born in 1953 and not deferred, he was eligible.