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Lletres: Herd, The. I Was Only 19.

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(Check)

Mum, Dad and Denny Were Some Amongst Many

Who Turned Up To See The Passing-Out Parade at Puckapunyal

Seemed Every Man and His Mongrel Watched Cadets Stumble

On The Long March To The Viet' Jungle

'Oh Christ' I mumbled as I Drew That Card

And My Mates Came to Slap Me on The Back With Due Regard

We Were The Six Battalion and the next to tour

We did Canungra, Shoalwater before we left, rest assured

seemed half of Townsville turned out to see us leave

and they lined the footpath as we marched to the quay

The papers wrote it up like you wouldn't believe

but we were looked into the future for a fast reprieve

The Newspaper clippings show us young, strong and clean

rock a slouch hat, slung SLR's and Greens



God Help me

I was Only 19



From Vung Tau the black helicopters, the chinook pilots seemed relieved at Nui Dat where they dropped us

Seemed like months running on and off landing pads

letters to dad, coz its like man he's sad

but he can't see the tents that we call home

cans of VB and pins ups on the lockers of chicks off TV

the noise, mosquitos and the heat surprising

Like the first time you see an agent orange arising



so please can ya' tell me doctor why i still can't get to sleep

the scars left with me

and night times just a jungle, dark and a barking M16

and keep saying rest in peace

what the hells this rash that comes and goes dont spose you can tell me what that means?



God Help Me

I was Only 19



sent off on a four week long operation where every single step could be your last one

on Two legs, It was sore to live, you had fallen with the shells, war within yourself

but you wouldn't let your mates down til' they had you dusted off

so you closed your eyes and thought of something else

Someone Yelled 'CONTACT' , another bloke swore

we hooked in for hours then a god-almighty-roar

Then Frankie kicked a mine the day that mankind kicked the moon



God Help me

He was going home in June



And i cant still see Frank with a can in his hand

36 hour leave in the bar at the grand

I can still hear frank, A screaming mess

a Bleeding Flesh, couldn't retrieve his legs

The ANZAC legend neglected to mention

The Mud, The Fear, The Blood, The Tears, The Tension

Dads Recollection Beyond Comprehesion

Didn't Seem Quite Real Until he Was sent in

The Chaos And confusion, the fire of steel

Oh Shrapnel in My Back I Didn't Even Feel



God Help me

I was only 19



So Please can ya' tell me doctor why I can't Get to Sleep, I can't hardly eat

and the sound of the channel seven chopper stills chills me to my feet, stills fuels my grief

and whats this rash that comes and goes, like the dreams

Can you tell me what that means?



God help me

i was only 19



Mum and Dad and Denny saw the passing-out parade at Puckapunyal

It was a long march from cadets.

The sixth battalion was the next to tour, and it was me who drew the card.

We did Canungra, Shoalwater before we left





So Please can ya' tell me doctor why I can't Get to Sleep, I can't hardly eat

and the sound of the channel seven chopper stills chills me to my feet, stills fuels my grief

and whats this rash that comes and goes, like the dreams

Can you tell me what that means?



God Help Me

I was only 19