This is an irregular diary of sorts . . . moving forward in time, but full of memories. Some thoughts bubbling up from the depths. Some thoughts that have never been far from the surface.
Am I a pack rat, a historian, or an archivist? Hard to tell. I have accumulated thousands of documents over the years, and I am currently reviewing everything. Each day brings discoveries, as well as an array of emotions. Letters, manuscripts, datebooks, programs, autographs, photos, recordings, etc. Stay tuned to see what surfaces over time,
November 11, 2023 (Veterans Day) – A datebook entry I made on Saturday, January 27, 1973
My 1973 datebook has the following notation: Signing of Peace Treaty. When I saw it, I couldn’t remember why I had written this. Some online research quickly solved the mystery by pointing out that the cease-fire agreement between the U.S. and North Vietnam was signed that day. As a 17-year-old who had seen friends die in the Vietnam War, it was a historical event of great personal significance. While I had forgotten the actual date, my emotional response to the end of that war will always be a part of me.
From UPI.com:
In 1973, the United States and North Vietnam signed a cease-fire agreement following lengthy Paris talks between U.S. national security adviser Henry Kissinger and Vietnamese negotiator Le Duc Tho. The same day, the United States announced an end to the military draft. Although the U.S.combat mission officially ended in 1973, the Vietnam War would not be over until April of 1975.
UPI File Photo
A related link included the following information:
The United States, North and South Vietnam and the Viet Cong signed the Vietnam peace settlement in a silent ceremony in Paris Saturday and the cease-fire ending the longest war in U.S. history formally took effect on the battle fields of Vietnam at 7 p.m. EST.
The fighting and dying lasted until the last minutes. A Vietnam civilian was killed in a Communist rocket attack on Saigon’s Tan Son Nhut Airport just before peace time.
. . . and on the subject of draft lotteries, inductions, etc.
NUMBERS CHOSEN IN DRAFT LOTTERY
The New York Times – March 21, 1974
WASHINGTON, March 20
The sixth annual draft lottery was held here today determining the order of inductions next year for men born in 1955, in case of a resumption of the draft in a national emergency.
The men’s birthdates, along with 365 “random sequence numbers,” were drawn from two plastic barrels at the Department of Commerce auditorium, where the draft lottery was held the previous four years. In 1969, the drawing was held at Selective Service national headquarters.
Men who received a lottery number above 95 will not be affected by today’s drawing, according to Selective Service officials. Those men who received numbers 1 through 95—about 500,000 of the approximately 2 million men born in 1955—will be reclassified 1‐A by their local draft boards. None of those reclassified will be given physical or mental tests.
The low number group will form a standby pool of “readily inductable” men during 1975. This year’s pool consists of men who received numbers through 95 in last year’s lottery. In case of a national emergency, Selective Service officials estimate that about 250,000 in this most vulnerable pool would be fit “morally, mentally and physically” for military service.
Men born on Feb. 28, 1955, would be the first to be called up; if Congress would restore the President’s authority to begin inductions again.
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My October 4, 1955 draft number was 193.
I did not serve in the military, but to those men and women who serve or have served, I want to express my deepest respect for you and my profound gratitude for the sacrifices you have made.
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Larry Alan Smith 