1. Enlist in the branch of service of your choice.
2. Stand for the draft.
3 If you were wealthy and/or had the proper connections you could enter the Guard. Those were the facts of life.
Wasn't there a Vietnam lottery in 1971? If so, #4 would have been NOT do any of the above.
1. Enlist in the branch of service of your choice.
2. Stand for the draft.
3 If you were wealthy and/or had the proper connections you could enter the Guard. Those were the facts of life.
So How did Richie Gephardt get in the Missouri Air National Guard? Did his milk-truck driving Dad use his union connections, or was Richie's Dad skimming cream at night? I got out of college in 1971 (four deferments!), and very few of the people I graduated follwed any of the above 3 options. My draft number was 68 (out of 365) and they didn't get to me until November. In December, Nixon announced the discontinuation of the draft.
Either your memory is bad or you are a troll. The first draft lottery was held on 12/1/69 for men born 1/1/44 - 12/31/50. This would determine who would be called up in 1970. Unless you graduated college at age 20 or less, this would include you. The last men called up had #195. Starting in 1970, your draft chances depended on your lottery number. The last people drafted were from 1972, born in 1952, #95 or lower. Before 1970, you would have been subject to the draft, but I presume you had a student deferment. Even if you didn't, the local boards generally went by a oldest man first rule, starting with the 26 year olds.