"Uncle Sam's kind of a shorthand for talking about the American government," Steve explained, staring out at the trainees. "U.S...Uncle Sam. A draft notice comes from the government. It was becoming obvious, even before Pearl Harbor, that war was coming. The government passed a law requiring all men ages 21 to 45 to register for the draft. If your name was selected, you had to serve in the military for at least a year."

His smile turned wry. "Of course, I volunteered and they turned me down flat. A few times."