Only 19
By now the ranks of Vietnam War veterans are starting to thin.
Soldiers returning from Vietnam were subject to a disgracefully shabby reception. Some of those opposed to conscription and to our government's decision to join in the war directed their anger at soldiers. Some branches of the RSL refused Vietnam veterans membership and prohibited them from joining Anzac Day marches.
Redgum’s I was Only 19 reminds us of those soldiers’ experience in and after the war.
This clip includes an introduction by the song’s composer, John Schumann. He has a message for all of us:
“We can oppose a war vigorously if that’s what our conscience demands of us, but we must always support and respect the people we send to fight it.”
