Deidre Hall (Marlena Evans) from Days of Our Lives (DOOL), the NBC/Peacock daytime drama, shared a different message this Memorial Day. Read on for more about the emotional recollection.

The Unusual Memorial Day Message

Like many other famous faces, Deidre took to social media this Memorial Day to remember the sacrifices that so many people made to keep America safe. On Instagram, she shared a photo of herself on the beach enjoying the warmer weather.

Probably millions of people went to the beach for their annual holiday, so many people could relate to the actress. But it was her message that provoked a trip down memory lane. And, for many people, it brought back some raw emotions.

In her caption, the real-life Marlena Evans wrote:

Like so many of you, I can vividly recall the Vietnam lottery that took place in 1969 and can still remember the sound of one mother’s scream when her son’s lottery number based on his birthdate was called. Memorial Day is not just a day off work, or an opportunity to barbecue.

Continuing, the DOOL star talked about how the day was set aside to honor the “unimaginable heroism, bravery, and paralyzing loss this country has suffered to remain free.” Next, she hoped that for her followers, the day was “meaningful.”

What Was The Vietnam Lottery?

Probably, you learned about the Vietnam War, but the focus in school is often on the causes, major events that changed the course of the war, and the impact on American society. If you have never heard the details about the lottery, read on.

Netflix released a streaming documentary about the war, but for the real deal, there are some ancient videos on YouTube by the likes of NBC from 1969. You can watch one of them further down in the article. The idea was to draw birthdays, then the name of people for the 1970 draft.

People React To The Memory

Painstakingly slow, one can only imagine the tension of the 18-year-old boys and their parents who would soon be drafted into the army. In the comments on YouTube, others, like Deidre Hall, recollected the painful time.

One veteran wrote, “I was 13 yrs when I saw this live on TV in my neighbors’ living room. The room was full [of] all the big kids from our neighborhood block. 2 guys got drafted and left right away when they realized their lottery number. 3 days later they had to report to the city Armory and were shipped out to Detroit for processing. They never came back.”

Another one said, “The guy who lived next door to me had one of the first numbers called. I can still hear him screaming, “NOooooooo….!!!!”

Another person who was slightly too young for the draft missed out by the skin of their teeth and recalled the look of horror on his father’s face.