I was a 1954, the last year of the draft lottery. Turned 17 and enlisted august of 71, was airborne before 18th birthday. My Mom wrote me to say the Government sent a letter that I was in trouble for not registering on my 18th birthday, I told her that it would probably be OK.
What was your number?
HHC 3/325Inf 82nd ABN DIV 71-74
Like Mike, having enlisted at 17 (and made a squad leader in Basic on my 18th birthday), my draft card never meant much. After Vietnam, the Pentagon took a look at the mistakes we'd made. They decided one of the biggest ones was not calling up the Guard and Reserve. They determined we'd never go to war again without doing that--and with the all volunteer military, it's pretty much impossible. Even the Bosnia operation, which wasn't all that large, required the activation of Guard and Reserve units. With the strength of both the Active and Reserve forces having been reduced significantly since the Cold War ended, and with the Army frequently having difficulty finding enough recruits, it makes you wonder how it would work if we went to war with, say, China.
