First Nodaway County Boy Called in Draft On October 20, 1940. When the national selective service system drafted No. 158 as the first man in each county to be called for the draft, it selected Donald Edward Comer of Ravenwood, who was then employed and 22 years old.
AI on draft #158
Draft serial number 158 was the very first number drawn in the inaugural U.S. peacetime draft lottery on October 29, 1940, for World War II. Drawn by Secretary of War Henry Stimson, this number meant that more than 6,000 men nationwide holding this serial number at their local draft boards were designated as Order No. 1.
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Significance: It was the first number in the first-ever peacetime draft in U.S. history, held before the U.S. formally entered WWII..
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The Drawing: Held in Washington, D.C., the ceremony involved drawing 7,836 capsules from a glass bowl to determine the order of service for registered men aged 21-36.
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Impact: Holders of #158 were required to report immediately for physicals and potential induction into one year of service.
The draft ultimately inducted 10 million men into the military by the end of the war in 1945.
For the 1940 draft, over 16 million men aged 21–35 registered locally, where each was assigned a number (1 to 7,836+). A national lottery on October 29, 1940, in Washington D.C., used a glass bowl filled with blue capsules containing these numbers, stirred with a wooden spoon and drawn to determine the order of call.
Key details regarding the 1940 draft number assignment:
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Local Assignment: Each of the 6,443 local draft boards assigned numbers to registrants in their area.
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National Lottery: Opaque capsules containing numbers 1 through 7,836 were placed in a fishbowl.
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The Drawing: Secretary of War Henry Stimson drew the first capsule, which was number 158.
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Order of Call: All men with the number 158 nationwide were called first, followed by subsequently drawn numbers.
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Significance: Only the first 10% of the numbers drawn (around 1.64 million men) were considered for the initial call of 800,000.
In 1940, over 6,400 local draft boards assigned a unique, sequential registration number to each man in their district. These numbers (ranging from 1 to 7,836) were randomly assigned or given in order of registration, then a national lottery held on October 29, 1940, determined the order of call.
Key details of the 1940 assignment process:
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Registration and Numbering: Men aged 21–36 registered on October 16, 1940, and were assigned numbers (serial numbers) by their local board.
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The Lottery: On Oct. 29, 1940, in Washington, D.C., 7,836 capsules containing numbers were placed in a fishbowl. These were drawn one by one, and this sequence dictated the order in which local boards called men for service.
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Order Number: Once the national draw occurred, the local board assigned an “order number” to each man, indicating when he would be called relative to others in his specific board area.
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Small Numbers First: Those with low, first-drawn numbers in the national lottery were in the first group to be considered for the 12-month training period.
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Records: These numbers were crucial, as shown on WWII draft cards, where the “Order Number” is often written in red.
Source for photo: Maryville Daily Forum • Page 10
October 29, 1940 Maryville Daily Forum p1
Two Maryville Men Are Second And Third Drawn. Ira G. Newlon and John Stapleton Hold Numbers 192 and 105. Subject to First Call For Selective Service To Donald Edward Comer, age 22 years, unmarried and unemployed, of Ravenwood; went the honor today of being the Nodaway countian holding 158, the first number drawn from the goldfish bowl in Washington today for selective service: under the peacetime conscription Law. Of the first 20 numbers drawn, three were for Nodaway. residents who will be subject to being the first called for Uncle Sam’s expanding military machine. Ira Gilbert Newion of Maryville was No.
2 and John Walton Stapleton, also of Maryville, was No. 3. Stapleton, who storks at Millikan’s Inn, remarked: “I’m pretty lucky. This is the first lottery I ever won in my life.” Drawn by Stimson Order number 1 in this county, Rocs to: Comer, who held draft string number 158, which was the first number. It was drawn by Secretary of War Stimson as “Order Number 1” in the first lottery of the first draft ever held in the United States in peacetime. He handed it to the president for announcement. Stimson held the number while pictures were taken and then handed the capsule to Major Edward. Shattuck. The second number was drawn by Secretary of the Treasury Morgenthau, and the president announced it as 192, which number is held in this county. Newion. Then followed the drawing of six more numbers, all of which were above the highest number in this county, 2630.
19th Number Stapicton’s The nineteenth number to be drawn was number 105, which Is held in this county by Stapleton. Comer is 22 years old and was! horn September 15, 1918. at Raven-range wood. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs.
Milo Comer of Ravenwood. He was unemployed on registration. October is 5 feet, 11 inches tall, and weighs 155 pounds. He will get Order No. 1. Newlon is 26 years old and was born on November 5, 1913. At Pickering, He is 5 feet, 10. inches tall and weighs 172 pounds. He was unemployed on registration day. He is the son of J B. Newlon of Clearmont and Mrs. Nell Newlon, 611 North Market Street. Maryville. Stapleton is 28 years old. Having been born June 24, 1912, in Lexington. Mo. He lives at 114 North Davis Street and is married. He is employed at the Millikan Inn in Maryville. He is 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighs 155 pounds.
One Number Added One number–2639 was added to the list of registrants today by the speculative service. board. The card, which arrived late. Belongs to, Robert Austin: Ready, Conception Abbey. Conception.
This morning, the board moved from the county courtroom, where it has been located. to the circuit judge’s chambers in the northwest corner of the second floor of the courthouse. In the last draft, in 1917, Lee Knox of Maryville held the first! number to be called: locally. His number was 700, and Knox qualified to leave Maryville with the first ten men to leave under the draft. Shown below is the order of the Nodaway County men drawn.
Numbers higher than the draft list in this county were disregarded. Only a partial list could be used today, as the drawings will continue til tomorrow morning.
The numbers as they were drawn are posted on the window of The Forum. ORDER OF LOCAL NUMBERS
1- 158 Donald Edward Comer, Ravenwood. 2– 192-Ira Gilbert Newlon, Maryville.3- 105-John Walton Stapleton, Maryville.
4–2441-Raymond Hadley Branson, Maryville.
5. 2563. Harvey Lee Chaney, Clearmont.
6- 188-Clarence Lynn: Ringgold, Maryville. (Continued on page 2).
