My Eternal Top's: Paul Hardcastle - 19 (1985)

In 1965 Vietnam seemed like just another foreign war, but it wasn't.
It was different in many ways, as so were those 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 1919,19,19,19

In Vietnam the combat soldier typically serveda 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 VietnamVet 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 1919,19,19,19
Nininininininininin Nineteen, 19, Ni-nineteen 1919,19,19,19

(Soldiers Voice)
When we came back it was different...
Everybody wants to know "How'd it happened 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?