The Draft

My year was the last year to be drafted to go to Vietnam. Your birthday was put into a lottery and the lower the number the more you were likely to be drafted. My number was about in the middle.

My sister Steve, however, was under 100. He was told to go to his draft board, which was on Wilshire and Rimpau. He asked me to go with him. When he got there he was told to remove his clothing, and he was given a medical examination and then he and the hundreds of other guys were given interviews. He got rated highly physically and mentally, 1A. My suggestion was to claim conscientious objector, but he was too shy to do that.

The war ended before he got inducted.

But before that, my order arrived to go to my draft board on 12th and Maple Street for an interview. I said I was a conscientious objector. They had many questions. The last question they asked, "If someone raped and killed your sister what would you do about it?" My answer was that I would rip the guy's lungs out. But that would be wrong. And I would expect to be arrested, tried, and sent to jail. And in the same way, that if I was sent to war that I would not kill because it is wrong. And that I would be almost as wrong if I worked in support of those who are doing the killing.

I got my conscientious objector deferment.

Once in a jury pool for a murder/torture case, they wanted the death penalty. I was asked the same question about my sister. I gave the same answer.

They almost rushed me out of the room.