Yesterday in La Crosse

Burning your draft card in 1969 might have gotten you drafted faster

Published

6 years ago

May 1, 2019

In the spring of 1969, the Selective Service said burning or throwing away a draft card practically guaranteed that you would be drafted to fight in Vietnam…because any deferments you had would be withdrawn. The ACLU wanted the Supreme Court to rule on whether Uncle Sam could punish draft dodgers by making them go into the service.

La Crosse State College was making campus plans for the next 20 years. The most immediate projects included a new fieldhouse for Mitchell Hall, and a new fine arts building. Later in the 70’s and 80’s, the college might build some parking ramps…and there was talk of putting a new football stadium in the La Crosse River marsh.

The Packers were objecting to re-alignment plans for the NFL, while the league was preparing to merge with the competing AFL. Green Bay wanted to be sure that it remained in the same division with its traditional rivals, the Chicago Bears. Pigskin plans in 1969, 50 years ago, yesterday in La Crosse.

Related Topics:draft card football stadium green bay packers

Brad Williams

A native of Prairie du Chien, Brad graduated from UW - La Crosse and has worked in radio news for more than 30 years, mostly in the La Crosse area. He regularly covers local courts and city and county government. Brad produces the features "Yesterday in La Crosse" and "What's Buried on Brad's Desk." He also writes the website "Triviazoids," which finds odd connections between events that happen on a certain date, and he writes and performs with the local comedy group Heart of La Crosse. Brad been featured on several national TV programs because of his memory skills.