September 14th Birthdate. First date called in the Vietnam War draft lottery

September 14th. First Birthdate called in the 1969 Vietnam War Draft Lottery

I appreciated the time I spent working with Vietnam Veterans. I'd listen to their stories, including the one they told about the draft lottery on December 1st, 1969. How they held their breath waiting to see if their birthdate would be called.

The first birthdate called was September 14th. Now, on this date, I wanted to honor all those who served in Vietnam, whether your birthdate was called in the draft or if you enlisted.

In all the Broken Angels, we cover that evening in detail. It is our way of honoring those who served and their families. I've put in a short excerpt of the book below. But here's some background first:

Imagine sitting around the TV set on the evening of December 1st,1969. This is what Cate, her cousin, Albie, who was of draft age, and their family did as birthdates were called one by one, sealing the fate of young men and their loved ones.

Here's a short excerpt from the book:

November 27th, 1969:

The New York Times headline read “Nixon Signs Draft Change; First Lottery Due Monday.” Men between the ages of nineteen and twenty-five would be eligible for induction into the armed forces during a lottery scheduled for December 1.

Thanksgiving had arrived. The stark black-and-white declaration plastered across the previous day’s front page seemed out of place next to the colorful dishes of sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, and cranberry sauce.

Days in the making, the feast sat virtually untouched on our dining room table while the family pushed bits of food around on their plates. Albie seemed unfazed but respectful, quietly consuming a modest plateful before skipping dessert and offering to clear the table. Soon the freezer would be stuffed with enough turkey for a week’s worth of sandwiches.

Evening of December 1st:

The words “Special Report” flashed across the screen and an announcer said, “Because of the CBS News Special Report which follows, Mayberry R.F.D. will not be presented tonight but will return next week at its regularly scheduled time over most of these stations.” Then a room full of men and a few women appeared in what the announcer said was Selective Service headquarters in Washington, D.C. Two of the men poured a box full of blue plastic capsules, each the size of a bulky lipstick tube, into a large, clear cylinder.

Mom squinted. “What’s that big thing behind them?” A wide board containing several columns of numbers, starting with 001 and ending with 366, spanned the back of the room. Each number had a blank space beside it.

“From what I read in the paper,” my uncle said, “I’m guessing those blank areas next to the numbers are for whatever’s inside the capsules. Probably a piece of paper with a date on it. I assume the first date picked will go next to number one on the board. Whoever’s born on that day will be drafted first.”

“But why are there three hundred sixty-six slots?” she asked. “There’s only three hundred sixty-five days.”

“Leap year,” Ed and Albie answered at the same time.

“Look at all those guys,” I said. “Betcha they won’t be sending their kids off to Vietnam.”

On television, the Director of Selective Service Lewis Hershey, a white-haired man with glasses, introduced New York Representative Alexander Pirnie. The congressman reached into the cylinder, pulled out the first blue capsule, and handed it to him.

My body tensed as the director separated the two plastic halves and removed a rolled piece of paper. Uncurling it, he paused before reading aloud. “September fourteenth.”

I heard several loud exhales around the living room and realized everyone had been holding their breath.

The director handed the slip to another man standing in front of the board, who announced, “September fourteen, zero-zero-one,” then affixed the paper to the empty space on the board next to the label with the same number.

Rosie took a drag on her cigarette. “First called, first to serve."

...

Read how the evening plays out in All the Broken Angels.