PART FOUR OF THE SERIES INCLUDED 1966. 1966 WAS A BUSY TIME. MY 18TH BIRTHDAY WAS IN APRIL, I SIGNED UP FOR THE DRAFT, SIGNED ON FOR A DEFERRED ENLISTMENT PROGRAM, MY FATHER DIED, I GRADUATED, AND I GOT ENGAGED. MY FATHER DYING ENDED THE ENLISTMENT AND THE ENGAGEMENT. I RECEIVED A HARDSHIP DEFERMENT. THE HARDSHIP DEFERMENT EVENTUALLY ENDED AND I WAS GIVEN A 1A. I WENT TO THE DRAFT CENTER FOR A PHYSICAL SOMETIME IN 1969. THE PROCESS IS RATHER DEMEANING, WHICH IS YOUR INTRODUCTION TO THE SERVICE. THEY TREAT YOU AS THOUGH YOU HAVE ALREADY SIGNED UP. YOU FIRST ARE GIVEN A SHORT TEST, I THINK TO MEASURE WHETHER OR NOT YOU ARE ALIVE. THERE WERE SOME MECHANICAL QUESTIONS WHICH I MISSED. (ENDS UP, I'M MECHANICALLY CHALLENGED). WHILE IN LINE, I HEARD MY NAME CALLED OUT. THEY TOOK ME TO THE OFFICE TO SEE THE PSYCHIATRIST. HE WAS A YOUNG GUY, I WOULD ASSUME WORKING OFF HIS MED SCHOOL DEBT. HE ASKED ME IF I INTENTIONALLY TRIED TO FLUKE THE TEST? I ASKED HIM IF I WOULD BE CONSIDERED SANE OR INSANE IF I DID? (I HAD MINORED IN PSYCHOLOGY). HE WAS NOT IMPRESSED. IN FACT, HE LOST IT. HE KICKED ME OUT OF THE CENTER. INTERESTING PUNISHMENT. WAITING TO BE CALLED TO DUTY, I SUDDENLY FOUND RELIGION AND WAS ACCEPTED INTO SEMINARY, WHICH CARRIED WITH IT A 4D DEFERMENT. WHAT CAN I SAY? GOD WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS. AFTER 2 YRS. IN SEMINARY, I APPLIED FOR AND RECEIVED CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR STATUS. I WAS ABOUT TO START MY 2 YEAR ALTERNATIVE MILITARY SERVICE REQUIREMENT WHEN THE DRAFT ENDED, IN 1973. IN TOTAL, THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 160,000 CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS.
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