Independent LivingBrightmore University: “Random Destiny” Book Review
May 13, 2019
Brightmore University starts its three-part author series with “Random Destiny”: How the Vietnam War Draft Shaped a Generation book review, presented by author Wes Abney. Residents joined to hear actual stories told by Wes Abney of lives altered by the draft, including not only those who were drafted, but also those who made major changes to their lives to avoid going to war; some went to college or chose careers with deferments. Some left the country or became conscientious objectors. Some even went to prison to avoid the draft. In his scrupulous compendium of facts, Abney rightly faults the deliberately skewed Vietnam War draft system that favored the privileged and doomed others. In this vast generation of 27,000 million men, only 3 million served in the combat zone, so large numbers with deferments were spared. The power in this book lies in vivid reminiscences of more than 160 men who answered a website request to recount the effect of the lottery on their lives. These were days that all of our Brightmore community remembers, so they truly enjoyed listening to Abney and could remember many of the stories he told.