I Was Only 19
Julia Stone Lyrics

Mum and Dad and Denny saw the passing-out parade at Puckapunyal
My mom, dad, and brother saw me graduate from cadet training at Puckapunyal military base.

It was a long march from cadets.
The lead up to my military training was a tedious and grueling process.

The sixth battalion was the next to tour, and it was me who drew the card.
Of all the soldiers in my battalion, it was me who got chosen to go to war next.

We did Canungra, Shoalwater before we left.
Before we left for Vietnam, we had training exercises in Canungra and Shoalwater.

And Townsville lined the footpaths as we marched down to the quay
The people of Townsville came to show their support as we made our way to the harbor.

This clipping from the paper shows us young and strong and clean.
A newspaper article showcased us soldiers as youthful, powerful, and spotless before we were sent for war.

And there's me in my slouch hat with my SLR and greens.
One of the guys featured in that article was me, wearing my camouflaged hat and carrying my gun.

God help me, I was only nineteen.
At the time, I was just a young, naïve 19-year-old who had no idea what was in store for me in Vietnam.

From Vung Tau, riding Chinooks, to the dust at Nui Dat
From the Vietnamese city of Vung Tau to the Nui Dat area, we constantly traveled in Chinook helicopters and were constantly surrounded by dust.

I'd been in and out of choppers now for months.
I had spent many months traveling to different parts of the country using these helicopters.

But we made our tents a home, VB and pinups on the lockers
Despite the harsh conditions, we made our tents feel more like home by adding decorations like pinup posters and beer cans.

And an Agent Orange sunset through the scrub.
The sunset in Vietnam was often tinted with the deadly herbicide Agent Orange, which was used to clear out foliage.

And can you tell me, doctor, why I still can't get to sleep?
I still suffer from insomnia and have nightly flashbacks to Vietnam even after so many years.

And night-time's just a jungle dark and a barking M16?
I can't shake off the memories of the eerie jungle at night and the sounds of guns going off.

And what's this rash that comes and goes, can you tell me what it means?
I'm dealing with an unpredictable rash, and it's baffling to me and my doctors.

A four week operation when each step could mean your last one on two legs
The operation we undertook was four weeks long, and we had to be extremely cautious with every step we took.

It was a war within yourself.
The experience took a heavy emotional toll on us to the point where we felt like we were at war with our own minds and bodies.

But you wouldn't let your mates down til they had you dusted off
Despite the immense pressure, we had to keep going to avoid letting our friends and fellow soldiers down.

So you closed your eyes and thought about something else.
In moments of intense distress, we would try to focus on something else to keep us going and push through the pain.

Then someone yelled out "Contact!" and the bloke behind me swore
One of the soldiers yelled out that the enemy was nearby, and the guy behind me swore in response.

We hooked in there for hours, then a Godalmighty roar
We engaged in fierce combat for hours, and then there was an explosion that shook us all to the core.

Frankie kicked a mine the day that mankind kicked the moon,
Frankie accidentally stepped on a mine on the same day that mankind made its first landing on the moon.

God help me, he was going home in June.
Sadly, Frankie died from his injuries, and he was due to return home in June.

I can still see Frankie, drinking tinnies in the Grand Hotel
I still remember Frankie having drinks with us at the Grand Hotel, as if nothing could ever go wrong.

On a thirty-six hour rec leave in Vung Tau
It was a brief respite from the danger and violence of war when we were granted a 36-hour break in Vung Tau.

And I can still hear Frankie, lying screaming in the jungle
Despite him being gone, the memory of Frankie's screams still haunts me to this day.

Til the morphine came and killed the bloody row.
The military medics had to give him morphine, and it was the only way to put an end to his pain and anguish.

And the Anzac legends didn't mention mud and blood and tears
The stories I heard about the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) in the past failed to capture the grueling reality of the modern war experience.

And the stories that my father told me never seemed quite real.
Even my father's stories of his own war experience didn't truly prepare me for what I had to face in Vietnam.

I caught some pieces in my back that I didn't even feel
I was wounded in the back during the war, but the adrenaline was so high that I didn't even realize it at the time.

God help me, I was only nineteen.
As young as I was, I was forced to endure the horrors of war, and it's something that has stayed with me for the rest of my life.

And why the Channel Seven chopper chills me to my feet?
Just the sound of the Channel Seven chopper triggers my PTSD and induces fear and panic for me.