Exposure

matt0911dick

…..

Reviewed it on September 20, 2023

bobbg101

Memories

Reviewed it on July 21, 2023

This book brought back many memories of that time period and my review is mostly about those memories. My sex life was not nearly as exciting as Nate’s…whose was? So I won’t go there.

I graduated from college in the Spring of 1969 with a teaching degree but hadn’t received any job offers. Teachers were exempt from the draft, so even though the pay was low, young men sought those positions.

We knew that the draft lottery was coming in January and I was heartened when Nixon announced that he was canceling the draft for November and December of 1969. What he failed to mention was that the October draft numbers were 2 or 3 times larger than in previous months and would be spread out through the rest of the year….some cancelation!

When the school year started I still did not have a teaching position and the prospects were looking dim. My fate was sealed on the third Saturday in October when I came home after watching a high school football game to find my draft notice in the mail box. I was to report for induction on December 3rd.

What to do? I contemplated going to Canada but I feared that I might never be able to return, might never see my family and friends again. I felt like the honorable thing was to go to jail but the thought of it was too terrifying. That left me one option, report for induction in December.

As I recall there were about 40 of us being processed that day and from the looks on their faces everyone was worried. The sergeant who was taking attendance said that enlistments in the Marine Corps were off and that they need two of us to volunteer to join the corps. No one stepped up so he said that they would volunteer two of us after lunch.

We were all given physicals that morning and then were sent out for lunch. When we returned, the same sergeant that asked for volunteers that morning said, Bob G.. and Dave R… come with me. As we walked down a long corridor I couldn’t help but think ‘They are picking two for the Marines after lunch, it is after lunch and there are two of us…I’m fucked!

The next morning I was on a flight to Parris Island South Carolina to begin marine recruit training.
BG

jrwhl12_1

Good story; Hard to relive the Draft issue at the end.

Reviewed it on July 14, 2023

I really enjoyed the book. The time frame fit my high school/college and 1-A classification experience. I was reminded of the fear and anxiety of being classified as 1-A and going through the Oakland, CA induction center. I was able to get my student deferment back and then a year later ended up No.273 on that first lottery. There was just so much confusion and misinformation floating around you didn't know who or what to believe. Kennedy should have never gotten us involved; Then Johnson escalated thing when we were getting by a bunch of "farmers". Nixon just picked up the baton and escalated even further. Fiends and classmates drafted right out of high school to never come home or so sick and messed up by combat they couldn't adjust to civilian life. Look forward to the next installment.

Fra Bartolo

Love and Heartbreak during the Vietnam War

Reviewed it on April 19, 2023

Nate Hart and his girlfriends are done with school and move on to college. Devon Layne paints a convincing picture of life in the late 60's and Nate's further exploits as photographer and photo journalist. I like how his characters are less than perfect, which renders them all the more human. All in all it's an engaging read and I'm looking forward to the next installment.

glangseth

Lane does it again

Reviewed it on April 18, 2023

As With all his work, Exposure is well written,paced and delightful to read.😀