8 thoughts on “Nineteen”

  1. Every time I’m reminded of that damn war, it puts a knot in my skivvies. I would like to know who decided that the WWII vets were “The Greatest Generation” and the ‘Nam vets were baby killers? Oh yeah, the media. Stop already with the WWII accolades. Every conflict has had its heros, so don’t try to celebrate only one group. It only insults the others who served.

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  2. This song brings back memories… of a time that brought back memories. In 1985 when this came out, I was working in radio with a bunch of kids 5-10 years younger than I, who didn’t recall much at all about Vietnam. To me, it was just life. We were at war the entire time I was growing up. The War was like a big machine that took men away as soon as they got out of high school and either sent them back damaged or not at all. And it affected everyone, not just those who volunteered. And you have to keep in mind that 19-year-olds could not vote during the biggest part of that war.

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  3. As an interesting FYI, the average age of 58,148 killed in Vietnam was 23.11 years. (Although 58,169 names are in the Nov. 93 database, only 58,148 have both event date and birth date. Event date is used instead of declared dead date for some of those who were listed as missing in action)

    Deaths Number Average Age
    Total 58,148 23.11 years
    Enlisted 50,274 22.37 years
    Officers 6,598 28.43 years
    Warrants 1,276 24.73 years
    E1 525 20.34 years
    USMC 0351 1,122 20.46 years
    11B MOS 18,465 22.55 years

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