“Hey Dave, did you finish that application yet? The deadline is approaching soon, you don’t want to be late!” “Not yet, Dad, I just need to finish this paragraph and then I will put it in the mail.” Dave Rutherford, was so excited, it was 1967 and he was just in the middle of his senior year at Jefferson High School.

“There you go” as he finishes his final paragraph of his writing assignment for Butler University. “All done, I am sure to get into the pharmacy program with this one.” Dave then drops the letter in the mailbox on the corner.

Meanwhile the mail carrier picks up the mail from the box and goes to the next one. However on the way to the final distribution center there was a pile up on the expressway and caused the truck to hit its brakes hard. Multiple letters fell out of the bag and had to be picked up; however the letter labeled Butler University Admissions was wedged between the seat and the truck bed.

It’s is now April and Dave is busy thinking about Spring Break and then preparing for prom with Julie Robinson. One day Dave’s father asked him if he had heard or received anything from the admissions office. “Not yet Dad,” he responded. “Well it’s still early, it should be here anytime now”, said Dad.

The next few weeks things were getting very heated overseas. President Johnson had ordered an additional 25,000 troops to be sent to Viet Nam and the draft was in full swing.

Dave’s friends were starting to get anxious about it. Bill, one of Dave’s oldest friends said, “Gee Dave, I wish I was college bound like you but you know how it is. My family just has the small grocery store and with 3 younger sisters you know there is not enough to cover college right now. I just hope my number isn’t called up”, as Bill takes another puff of his cigarette.

“I know what you mean Bill, it’s a scary time right now, I am just happy I sent my application in early. It should just be a matter of days until I get my packet and my dorm assignment, Go Bulldogs!”

“Hey, Dave, you got something in the mail, a letter,” said his mother one day. “That must be my admission letter,” as he runs down the stairs and snatches it out of her hands. He runs up the stairs and enters his bedroom and plops down on the bed. It is a thin envelope and not the thick packet Dave was waiting for. It was from the government, the Selective Service specifically, his number was called and he was expected to report to the local recruiting office within 48 hours.

“What!?!” “This has to be some mistake, I am going to Butler in the fall. “Dad! Dad! come here quick I need you to see this.” Immediately, Dave’s father rushes into the room, “What is it?” “Here read this,” as he passes the letter to his father as he sits down at the desk.

Immediately, the color in Dave’s father drained and his worst fears were realized. His eighteen year old son had just got called up to go to war. He knew what war was like, he had to go through this himself after Pearl Harbor. He never wanted this for his son, Dave, and with that he just got up and walked out of the room letting the letter drop to the floor.

“What could have happened?” Dave thought, “I put the letter in the mail.” “I talked to the recruiter months ago, he said my grades and SATs were fine, all I had to do was fill out the application and write an essay as to why I wanted to be a pharmacist?”

The next day Dave reported to the recruiters office in town. “This has to be a mistake,” Dave said. “ I am supposed to be attending Butler in the fall”. However, everything was correct according to the draft board; they had no recollection or document indicating that Dave was a student or potential student at Butler University. They even called the university with Dave present and the admissions office said they did not have any application from a Dave Rutherford in their system.

Dave was out of luck, he passed his military physical and was to report to Fort Harrison in the morning for basic training and then off to F company in Saigon, Viet Nam.

It is now July and the fighting in Viet Nam has escalated to new heights. Dave was able to write when he could but there was too much going on in the field. One day the Rutherfords see a military car pull up to the curb and they fear the worst as an Army Lieutenant knocks on the door. He informs them that a military convoy helicopter that Dave was a passenger in was shot down by the enemy near the western border with Laos. There were no survivors. Grief stricken Dave’s parents thanked the officer for this information and a private funeral was held.

A few weeks after the funeral, Dave’s father was picking up the mail in it with a few bills was a letter for his son. It was from Butler University, in the letter the admissions office explained that the application for admission was found in the back of a mail truck with a post mark date of April 15th and with that mark, they were accepting Dave’s application and he would be accepted into the pre-pharmacy program that fall. With the new school year starting in a few weeks the university was going to rush his dorm assignment and class schedule, since all the classes he needed were prerequisites there would be no need to contact the academic advisor for course selection. He was welcome to occupy the dorms on the first Friday after the Labor Day Holiday. The letter ended with “Welcome to Butler University, home of the Bulldogs.