PHOTO: Me before my induction.

I began college in 1964, before the buildup of the Vietnam War. Continuing in school became increasingly important to maintain a draft deferment with 300 soldiers dying each week in Vietnam. When the deferment ran out I wrote for an extension for a total of 5 years! In 1969 the draft went to a lottery system. A drawing was held on television, my number was 33 which meant I would be drafted soon.

I had been told to put bars of soap or tobacco in the armpits to make blood pressure rise or claim to be gay. Neither of these seemed to be viable alternatives and I thought I could out smart the Army by claiming psychosis. I told the staff at the Exam Station I needed to see a psychiatrist. When it was my turn I entered the private office of a psychiatrist, an overweight Major. He said, “What’s your problem, son.” I said, “I take LSD every day and don’t know where I am most of the time. Where am I.” On his large wooden desk was my file, a stamp pad and two stamps. He stamped my file APPROVED, pushed to toward me and said, “You will fit right in.”

I had passed the physical exam and at the end we were all ushered into a room to take the oath. I was told if I did not raise my hand I would be leaving to Leavenworth Prison so took my chances on basic training. We were all loaded into a bus for a trip from Los Angeles to Fort Ord on the California coast.

Before starting basic training, I was told, "Lamunyon, you are on police call tomorrow." I was surprised to have duty before training but enthusiastic about helping the police. Later I found police call was picking up cigarette butts.