Is your number up? (The Draft)

He was a sophomore at the University of Denver when it was his turn to have the equivalent of a door-prize drawing decide his future.

He and every other guy in the dorm crowded the television at the end of the hall to watch capsules containing birth dates being drawn from a fishbowl. If the then-19-year-old's date was pulled out early, he would be drafted for Vietnam. If drawn after the 100th, he'd be safe.

cut

Online magazine Salon.com reported in November that Selective Service is hastily filling vacancies on the five-person boards because of fighting in Iraq. Selective Service officials say the 16 percent vacancy rate is typical for the more than 2,000 boards and recruitment is always ongoing.

more

http://www.sptimes.com/2004/05/11/Floridian/Is_your_number_up.shtml

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