On approximately April 13, 1968, Lyndon Johnson activated 24,000 reservists and National Guardsmen. They were federalized on May 13, 1968 for up to two years active duty, and released around the middle of August, 1969. About 10,000 of these served in Vietnam; some died there. They came from Illinois, Indiana, Idaho, Kansas, and other states.

I know this. I was one of them, as was my brother and several of my cousins.

We joined before there were waiting lists, and we knew that there was a chance of call-up. We tossed the dice and lost, so we went.

This is for your information, not to take a side one way or the other. I can say, however, that those who ended up on a waiting list and were then drafted before they got into a reserve unit would have a right to be angry about those who were given preference -- and that DID happen.