19 by Paul Hardcastle

send any corrections to stdmav@shsu.edu







In 1965 Vietnam seemed like just another foreign war,

but it wasn't.

It was different in many ways, as so were tose that did the fighting.

In World War II the average age of the combat soldier was 26...

In Vietnam he was 19.

In inininininin Vietnam he was 19.





(TV announcer's voice)

The shooting and fighting of the past two weeks continued today

25 miles west of Saigon

I really wasn't sure what was going on (Vet's Voice)



Nininini Nineteen, 19, Ni-nineteen 19

19,19,19,19



In Vietnam the combat soldier typicaly served a twelve month tour of duty but

was exposed to hostile fire almost everyday

Ninininininininininin 19 nininininninin 19



Hundreds of Thousands of men who saw heavy combat in Vietnam were arrested

since discharge

Their arrest rate is almost twice that of non-veterans of the same age.

There are no accurate figures of how many of these men have been incarcerated.

But, a Veterans Administration study concludes that the greater of Vets

exposure to combat could more likely affect his chances of being arrested or

convicted.



This is one legacy of the Vietnam War



(Singing Girls)

All those who remember the war

They won't forget what they've seen..

Destruction of men in their prime

whose average was 19

Dedededededede-Destruction

Dedededededede-Destruction

War, War

Dededede-Destruction, wa-wa-War, wa-War, War

Dedededededede-Destruction

War, War



After World War II the Men came home together on troop ships, but the Vietnam

Vet often arrived home within 48 hours of jungle combat

Perhaps the most dramatic difference between World War II and VietNam was

coming home.. .none of them received a hero's welcome

None of them received a heroes welcome, none of them, none of them

Nenene Nenene None of them, none of them, none of them (etc...)

None of them received a hero's welcome

None of them received a hero's welcome



According to a Veteran's Administration study

Half of the Vietnam combat veterans suffered from what Psychiatrists call

Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder

Many vets complain of alienation, rage, or guilt

Some succumb to suicidal thoughts

Eight to Ten years after coming home almost eight-hundred-thousand men are

still fighting the VietNam War



(Singing Girls)

Dedededededede-Destruction



Nininininininininin Nineteen, 19, Ni-nineteen 19

19,19,19,19

Nininininininininin Nineteen, 19, Ni-nineteen 19

19,19,19,19



(Soldiers Voice)

When we came back it was different.. Everybody wants to know "How'd it

happenned to those guys over there

There's gotta be something wrong somewhere

We did what we had to do

There's gotta be something wrong somewhere

People wanted us to be ashamed of what it made us

Dad had no idea what he went to fight and he is now

All we want to do is come home

All we want to do is come home

What did we do it for

All we want to do is come home

Was it worth it