Mr. Clinton has said he was unaware of any plans for a lottery system at the time he backed out of his ROTC agreement, but the president's comments were widely publicized. Last week the Wall Street Journal ran an article on how Clinton avoided the Vietnam draft . Like many his age , he had a draft deferment . Graduate school deferments had ended . His draft board told him he could expect to be called in the summer of 1969 ; giving him extra consideration because he was a Rhodes Scholar . Clinton went back to Oxford . Later he attended an ROTC program at the University of Arkansas , promising to enroll . He entered Yale . Near his induction date , he ended his deferment and was placed in the draft lottery ; a high turnout ensured his exclusion .
Last week the Wall Street Journal ran an article on how Clinton avoided the Vietnam draft . Like many his age , he had a draft deferment . Graduate school deferments had ended . His draft board told him he could expect to be called in the summer of 1969 ; giving him extra consideration because he was a Rhodes Scholar . Clinton went back to Oxford . Later he attended an ROTC program at the University of Arkansas , promising to enroll . He entered Yale . Near his induction date , he ended his deferment and was placed in the draft lottery ; a high turnout ensured his exclusion .