Whitman County Gazette - Serving Whitman County since 1877

COLFAX -Sidney Lee was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. At 21, while studying Computer Science in junior college, he decided to let his student exemption expire to be drafted into the Army in 1971 during the Vietnam war.

"My draft number was 30," Lee said, adding that he was hoping to get drafted instead of enlisting. "With a little more education, I wound up with an office job instead of front line," he said.

Lee would enter the Army on January 18, 1971, serving until 1973. "Being from California, we're supposed to go to Fort Ord in Monterey," he said, due to it being full thou...