Song for
Regulars		 Song for
Conscripts
"I Was Only Nineteen" by Redgum grabbed public emotions and air play but didn't apply to conscripts.  After 6 or more months training, the combat age of conscripts was 21 to 24 (the older conscripts having deferred to complete college or university studies).  Most Australians believe that war veterans are the same, with personal choices of participation and objectors can avoid military service.  Nearly half of the combat force in our war were legally drafted in peacetime and sent to war with no such rights.  The brilliant song is dedicated to regular volunteer soldiers (recruitment age 17) stating how hard war was compared to their youthful expectations, and health concerns over chemical defoliants.  Issues raised in this song have been accepted by the community and resolved with some sort of fair justice. "Compulsory Hero" by 1927 is dedicated to Australian conscripts and this band will be remembered for their effort.  Most "compulsory heroes" try to blend inconspicuously amongst regulars in clubs and marches and in the community (although the ruling for many years by returned service clubs was to allow full membership to regulars and only associate membership to conscripts).  The powerful song was a move towards understanding and regret towards Australia's peacetime war conscripts.  They have received no thanks, for the national mistake received no apology, and for remaining days can expect no favour - peacetime conscription is still in our law.  Australian Vietnam conscripts who haven't already died from war injuries and illness silently carry these insults to graves while this song's issues remain without such fair justice.
"I Was Only Nineteen" by Redgum (J Schumann, Warner Bros. Music Aust. 1983) (courtesy) "Compulsory Hero" by 1927 (Trafalgar Records, WEA Records, Warner, 1989) (courtesy)

 

Mum and Dad and Denny saw the passing out parade at Puckapunyal
It was a long march from Cadets
The 6th battalion was the next to tour and it was me who drew the card
We did Canungra and Shoalwater before we left
And Townsville lined the footpaths as we marched down to the quay
This clipping from the paper shows us young and strong and clean
And there's me in my slouch hat with my SLR and greens
God help me, I was only nineteen.

From Vung Tau riding Chinooks to the dust at Nui Dat
I'd been in and out of choppers now for months
But we made our tents a home, VB, and pinups on the lockers
And an Asian orange sunset through the scrub
And can you tell me doctor why I still can't get to sleep
And night-time's just a jungle dark and a barking M-16
And what's this rash that comes & goes, can you tell me what it means
God help me, I was only nineteen.

A four week operation, when each step can mean the last one
On two legs - it was a war within yourself
But you wouldn't let your mates down till they had you dusted off
So you closed your eyes and thought about something else
Then someone yelled out "Contact!" and the bloke behind me swore
We hooked in there for hours, then a god-almighty roar
Frankie kicked a mine the day that mankind kicked the moon
God help me, he was going home in June.

I can still see Frankie, drinking tinnies in the Grand Hotel
On a 36 hour rec leave in Vung Tau
And I can still hear Frankie, lying screaming in the jungle
Till the morphine came and killed the bloody row
And the Anzac legends didn't mention mud and blood and tears
And the stories that my father told me never seemed quite real
I caught some pieces in my back that I didn't even feel
God help me, I was only nineteen.

And can you tell me doctor why I still can't get to sleep
And why the Channel Seven chopper chills me to my feet
And what's this rash that comes & goes, can you tell me what it means
God help me, I was only nineteen.

 Remember the times when we were kids playing war games in your yard
Everybody had to be a hero, and get one in the heart
Night would fall and we'd call a truce, we'd all go home.

Years went by, we were average guys playing life by rule of thumb
Till the man came on the TV talking about war that we wanted won
He said "Everybody line up backs to the wall till we know the score."

"You've got to go and be a hero
We've got a new game for all you boys, it's war without a choice
Compulsory hero, just try and make it home."

Grandpa heard the call to arms in the war to end all wars
And your Dad went off to do his bit when we had to go one more
You've really got no say in it, you've got to fight and that's the law.

You've got to go and be a hero
We made a law that you have to go and fight one more crazy war
Compulsory hero, just try and make it home.

So all that had to be heroes went off to do their chores
None of them really would have known how far it bloody well goes
Their dying to make it home.

When we look back on all those times playing war games in your yard
Everybody had to be a hero, back then that wasn't hard
Night would fall on the battle zone and we could all go home.

You had to go and be a hero
We made a law that you have to go and fight one more crazy war
Compulsory hero, just try and make it home.
.
Just try and make it home.

Oh then, who's going to make it home?

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