I knew I was on my way when I got a 2 in the lottery.
And then I wasn’t called up.
Who woulda thunk?
Joined up anyway.
My birthday came up at #16, but like you, I wasn't called. I was an Army brat, and had watched my dad rotate in and out of Nam multiple times, so I wasn't real excited about the prospect.
When I was a kid in Okinawa, I got so I could tell whether uniformed guys were headed to the fight, or on their way home. The differences between them were like night and day. At 12 years old, I was very familiar with 'the thousand yard stare.'
Later, as an older teen, every guy that I knew who had gone, had come back missing a body part, nuts as hell, shell shocked, strung out on drugs, or in a pine box. Every one of them gave some - lost some. It was a really sad time.
Hehehehe! I got my “draft” notice while I was in my 5th week of basic! The laugh was on them!