ABSTRACT
But is it possible some servicemen died (and some lived) instead of others because a process that was supposed to be random . . . wasn’t?1
In 1969, the United States had half a million troops in Vietnam. The Selective Service System began preparations for the first draft lottery since World War II to determine which men would be inducted the following year. A random drawing would take place on December 1, 1969, and approximately 850,000 young men who were classified as “draft eligible” would be assigned a draft number based on their birthday.
