Never in armed services
I'm one of those 'notch kids' that never had to register for the draft/selective service.
When I was of age, the war in VietNam had ended a couple years before.
I did, however, try my hand at the service academies, specifically the USAF. My ACT and SAT scores were 98-99 percentile of college-bound students, I was relatively physically fit being I was on the swim team, and I was (am) an Eagle Scout (the academies like well-rounded individuals, not bookworms, mama's boys or jocks). I got my nomination to the USAF Academy from one of our US Senators (six per Senator, twelve per state). I was so far along in the selection process that when the AF said they wanted my wisdom teeth out, I said 'Yes, Sir!' It was in mid April of my senior year in high school when I was eliminated because of my eyesight -- just six weeks before I was to have reported for induction!
Like I said earlier, the war had just ended and the military machine was drawing down. They only wanted 'perfect specimens' -- those who would be around for lifetime hitches. With my eyesight that wasn't going to be an option, not as an officer anyway. That left enlistment. When I tried to enlist I was told not to bother (eyesight again) since they still had a glut of people to muster out after the war.
C'est la vie!
As a somewhat amusing anecdote, when I was at Ohio State I had taken rifle marksmanship as a phys ed elective. I had been a competitive shooter in the NRA Junior program for years (Expert ranking) and took the PE class to stay in practice. The advisor to the college rifle team tried to recruit me into the team and get me to stay on another year but i told him that my funds had run out. He said that he could arrange an Army ROTC scholarship and guarantee my MOS to the AMU after graduation. Then I laughed in his face and told him of the rejection I had recieved from them when I had tried to enlist. I walked. Did I make the right choice?
Hmmmm, I would have probably be a retired O-6 by now....
D'oh!