The Draft
I remember when I was a Senior in High School about to graduate. I went to visit the Air Force Recruiter. I told him I wanted to enlist in the Air Force ROTC with the goal of going to pilot training school. When we got to the part in the conversation where we began talking about my health history, he had some bad news for me. He said there was no way I would get close to a cockpit. He was very nice though, he offered to introduce me to the Army Recruiter and he informed me he thought the odds were good the Army could put me in boots and find something for me to do. While I found his offer very kind, it came while the Vietnam War was still very much active. I had to decline on moral grounds. I decided I would go to college and let the draft determine my future relationship with the Army. As luck would have it, my number was 357. College beckoned and I answered the call.