This was a great response from a poster:

“Of course, Edwards himself hasn?t always been forthright about his own military record - or rather, lack thereof. In April, NBC ?Today Show? host Katie Couric asked him where he was during Vietnam. The exchange went like this: COURIC: Your military service, before we go? EDWARDS: I - I did not serve in the military. COURIC: You had a high lottery number, is that right? EDWARDS: I did, and I came after - after the time that they were actually drafting from the lottery, Katie. I?m 50 years old. And because at the time I came along and graduated from high school and then - and then went to college, I was not drafted. [END OF EXCERPT] A high lottery number? Not exactly. Pulling number 178 in the February 1972 Selective Service lottery drawing, Edwards? number was lower than more than half of those picked. And what about the claim that he ?came after the time that they were actually drafting from the lottery.? That?s not strictly true either. The year Edwards became eligible for the draft, the military drafted 49,514 men, according to Selective Service records - tapping draftees who had lottery numbers as high as 95. The draft was abolished in July 1973. But even that year, 646 young men born the same year as Edwards were inducted into the military.”

You're being a bit dishonest here. http://www.sss.gov/lotter4.htm I'm certainly not a John Edwards fan by any stretch, but I am a proponent of honesty. Now as far as what his wife said; I think it makes her look like a moron.

The highest lottery number called was 95; from the lottery drawing held August 5, 1971 that determined the order in which men born in 1952 were called to report for induction into the military. Edwards was born June 10th 1953. All men assigned lottery number 95 or any lower number, and who were classified 1-A or 1-A-O (available for military service), were called to report for possible induction.

RESULTS FROM LOTTERY FOR MEN FACING THE DRAFT IN 1973

The lottery drawing held February 2, 1972, determined the order in which men born in 1953 were called to report for induction into the military.

How to read this chart: This chart shows all the birth dates in a given year and the lottery numbers assigned to those dates. Read this chart like a multiplication table. At the top of the chart are the months of the year. On the far left are the dates of the month. The numbers in the center represent lottery numbers. For example: To find the lottery number assigned to July 15, look down from "July" till it matches up with the number "15" on the left side of the table. The corresponding number in the middle is "359." This means that all men born on July 15, 1953, were assigned the lottery number 359.

This lottery was conducted for men who would have been called in 1973; however, no new draft orders were issued after 1972.

**Results from Lottery for Men Facing the Draft in 1973**
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
1	150	112	203	012	058	015	039	323	219	215	107	170
2	328	278	322	108	275	360	297	027	017	128	214	090
3	042	054	220	104	166	245	109	003	226	103	232	056
4	028	068	047	280	172	207	092	313	356	079	339	250
5	338	096	266	254	292	230	139	063	354	086	223	031
6	036	271	001	088	337	087	132	208	173	041	211	336
7	111	154	002	163	145	251	285	057	144	129	299	267
8	206	347	153	050	201	282	355	131	097	157	312	210
9	197	136	321	234	276	083	179	007	364	116	151	120
10	037	361	331	272	100	178	089	249	217	342	257	073
11	174	026	239	350	307	064	202	125	334	319	159	082
12	126	195	044	023	115	190	340	198	043	171	066	085
13	298	263	244	169	049	318	306	329	229	269	124	335
14	341	348	117	081	224	095	305	205	353	014	237	038
15	221	308	152	343	165	016	359	241	235	277	176	137
16	309	227	094	119	101	032	074	019	225	059	209	187
17	231	046	363	183	273	091	199	008	189	177	284	294
18	072	011	357	242	098	238	121	113	289	192	160	013
19	303	127	358	158	148	052	332	105	228	167	270	168
20	161	106	262	314	274	077	033	162	141	352	301	149
21	099	316	300	004	310	315	005	030	123	288	287	080
22	259	020	317	264	333	146	286	140	268	191	102	188
23	258	247	022	279	216	212	365	302	296	193	320	252
24	062	261	071	362	246	061	324	138	236	256	180	155
25	243	260	065	255	122	143	035	290	291	009	025	006
26	311	051	024	233	118	345	204	076	029	078	344	351
27	110	186	181	265	293	330	060	034	248	325	135	194
28	304	295	045	055	018	053	185	040	070	327	130	156
29	283	---	021	093	133	075	222	084	196	349	147	175
30	114	---	213	069	048	142	200	182	184	346	134	281
31	240	---	326	---	067	---	253	218	---	010	---	164