"I'm not lost for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost."

Sometimes iTunes throws up some interesting song combinations, just by chance it
played Khe Sanh by Cold Chisel followed by I was Only 19 (A walk In the Light
Green) by Redgum, now as any red blooded Australian worth their salt knows that
both songs are about the Vietnam war, or more importantly the aftermath.

Khe Sanh is considered to be an classic Australian song that most often gets
sung in the pub by drunk people who then almost come to blows over whether it's
'the last train out of Sydney' or 'the last plane out of Sydney'.

Reasoned explanation that the next line is about spending seven hours and then he'll
be hitting 'some hong kong matress all night long' and 'in the arms of a chinese
princess' will get you nowhere. People, drunk loud people will still argue that
he's catching the 'last train'. Barnesy himself could be in the pub knocking
back a few and tell them it's the 'last plane' and they still won't believe him,
they'll argue til they are blue in the face that it's the 'last train'.

Which is a bit sad because it ignore the absolutely brilliant and cutting commentary
lyrics from Don Walker, personally the only Vietnam veteran that I knew was the father
of my best friend at High School, my own father didn't serve in Vietnam, I'm not sure
if it was because his number just didn't come up, or some other reason we don't talk about.

My friends father was a bit 'strange' at times, he liked to be alone, and he drank a lot,
and sometimes he said and did weird things, my friends Mum just told us to ignore him
and that he didn't mean what he said and that it was just best not to annoy him and to
leave him alone.

Of course now I can recognise the symptons of PTSD, he was always never 'quite well' so
I also imagine that there was some Agent Orange damage going on as well, but back then in
1977 it wasn't talked about or even believed that there could be problems from the wide
spread use of a dangerous pesticide.

Khe Sanh talks about the problem that a lot of Vietnam vets had about fitting in back to
the 'real world' after their tour of duty was up, especially those who came back after
the protests, they were the first lot of War veterans that were actively hated and ignored
by a great swathe of the population, not for them the pride of marching on Anzac day or
the greatful thank yous of a relieved populace.


( Khe Sanh Lyrics )


So the next time you feel like belting out Australias' unofficial National anthem, spare a
thought for the meaning behind it, it's far more than a karaoke/pissed as newt
drinking song, far far more.

That of course brings us to I Was Only 19, this one speaks more of the unfairness of
the ballot and how conscription changed and ruined so many young lives, fighting a
war that in reality had fuck all to do with Australias' security and far more to do
America trying to take something that wasn't theirs to begin with.

The first time I heard I Was Only 19 I will admit that I cried, it touched me in the same
place that hearing 'And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda' did, and even now both songs hit a
raw nerve, something about the way both songs tell in essence the same story, but
with two different endings.


( I Was Only 19 lyrics )


I always found it a little bit sad that it took Australia so damn long to oficially
recognise the War service of the Vietnam vets, even in RSL (Returned Servicemans League)
Vietnam vets were looked upon as slightly inferior for so many decades. There were no
welcome home parades for the Vietnam vets, it was definitely like the Government
wanted to forget that we'd sent off our young men, our best and brightest, conscripted
them, sent them to fight in a war that we had no business in being in.

Vets from the Sudan, Boxer Rebellion, Boer War, WW1 and WW2 were held in high esteem on
their return. Vets from Malaya and Korea were ignored but tolerated if encountered.
Viet Nam vets felt somewhat cheated, firstly because they were hampered in
(even stopped from) winning the war by the very political system that sent them and
then secondly because they were abused by the people that they represented.

After 1968 the tide started turning against the Vietnam war in Australia, so any
homecoming parades attracted protests and violence, so the Govt just stopped having
them, making the Vets feel even more distanced and disenchanted.

Australia held an offcial 'Welcome Home' march on the 3rd October 1987, some fourteen
years after the last Australian battalion was withdrawn from Vietnam. That went some
way to healing some of the distress, and now finally the Vietnam vets are applauded
at Anzac Day ceremonies, I can't see any of the current diggers serving in Iraq or
Afghanistan being treated in the same way when they finally all come home, and
that's a good thing.

Even if I don't agree that we should be in Iraq, and that we should NEVER have been
in Iraq, the reality is that our Men and Women are serving with honour and that
is how we should treat them when they come back.

So hopefully there won't have to be songwriters who write songs that deal with the
disenfranchising of Iraqi and Afghani Vets.
















And before I forget ANOTHER song about the Vietnam war and the aftermath, Compulsory Hero from 1927, this one also made me sad.

In memory of my GreatGrandfather who along with an estimated 1200 other Aboriginal men heeded the call to arms for the Great War, and who even though served with great distinction was refused access to his bravely won medals, his service medals and his military pension, because he was a non-person, an Aboriginal.



In memory of my Grandfather, who even though knew of the shabby treatment meted out to his Father, joined the Armed forces in the Aboriginal Regiment and served with great distinction in WWII, and was once again refused access to his fairly won medals, his service medals and his military pension, because he too was a non-person.



Thats sacrifice worth remembering.