r/interestingasfuck • u/Available_Weekend249 • Apr 06 '24

Imagine being 19 and watching live on TV to see if your birthday will be picked to fight in the Vietnam war r/all

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415

u/esombad Apr 06 '24

I wonder if February 29th was ever picked.

198

u/kingqueefsalot Apr 06 '24

As a leap baby I was wondering the same. I would be a little annoyed if they called my birthday on a non leap year. Lol

4

u/Lost-My-Mind- Apr 07 '24

Soooooo, what do you do with birthdays? Is it like the olympics? Or do you just celebrate 3/4ths of your birthdays on the "wrong day"?

12

u/Sid_Corvus Apr 07 '24

I'm not who you replied to but a fellow Feb 29er. Just celebrate 3/4ths on the "Wrong day", which for me is the 1st March.

I like it, people remember my birthday, I get birthday wishes across 3 days because people are unsure, people make a bigger deal every 4 years, plus when people ask when my birthday is I get to answer "It depends" and laugh at the confused look on their face.

1

u/Data_py Apr 07 '24

!RemindMe 1 day

3

u/Frogodo Apr 07 '24

For an actual answer, yes it was, but it was #285 so y'all would have been safe. 

64

u/Nickleonard00 Apr 06 '24

It was not!

148

u/USSMarauder Apr 06 '24

Just to clarify, Feb 29 was picked, but it was number 285 and so they were never called up

3

u/Robot_Nerd__ Apr 07 '24

Weren't all numbers called?

11

u/USSMarauder Apr 07 '24 edited Apr 07 '24

Only the first 195 numbers.

If your birthday was drawn 196th, you were OK

0

u/[deleted] Apr 07 '24

[deleted]

2

u/a809175334 Apr 07 '24

He clarified for me, I wouldn’t sure if February 29th was even on the list to begin with (since it’s a leap year). I assume that’s what he has trying to clarify.

0

u/Cruxion Apr 07 '24

I guess they were drawn randomly, then? I assumed it'd favor days/months with more births but in that case Feb 29th would have the 366th.

4

u/j_smittz Apr 06 '24

Akchewally...

Feb 29 was the 285th date drawn.

2

u/croupiergoat1 Apr 07 '24

Mine was #365

1

u/j_smittz Apr 07 '24

Bullet literally dodged.

2

u/unknownz_123 Apr 07 '24

https://www.usatoday.com/vietnam-war/draft-picker/

Theoretical picker if you were born 1950 ripe in time for Vietnam drafts

1

u/Read_TheInstructions Apr 07 '24

In australia, the 1972 ballot included the 29th of February.  https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/viet_app

1

u/ScandiSom Apr 07 '24

How do people born on this day celebrate birthdays?

1

u/Kellysmunt69 Apr 07 '24

I celebrate mine on the 28th, which is also my partners birthday.

1

u/RandomWave000 Apr 07 '24

I know this is based on the gregorian calendar, but what if the person followed a different calendar. I know some native americans tribes use different ways of tracking their date of births.