Redgum's Song 'I Was Only 19'

This is a more in-depth piece on the lawsuits made by veterans following the end of the Vietnam War. Claims started being made in 1977 after many veterans were experiencing health issues and having children born with birth defects. They reported the issues to the Department of Veteran Affairs for disability benefit, but the agency denied them of any help unless they could prove it was directly from serving in Vietnam or within a year after coming home. A case worker for the department, Maude De Victor, met a widow of a veteran who died from lung cancer and she believed her husband’s cancer was related to exposure to Agent Orange. De Victor started to ask other veterans about being exposed to Agent Orange and asking the Department of Defense,

The Agent Orange Act of 1991 is the only legislative pathway to add ailments to the presumptive list of service connected illnesses for Vietnam Veterans. It is set to expire on September 30th, 2015. If the Act is allowed to expire comprehensive research reviews will end. Without continued research reviews, some Vietnam Veterans will never be covered for the ailments caused by their exposure. If this legislation is not extended there will be no new ailments added to the service connected presumptive list for Vietnam Veterans (after the 2014 report is released this December).

The Vietnam War had a large impact on Australians. This was through all, soldiers, government and on the home front. On the home front there was public unrest. For the government they had lost their popularity, and for the soldiers they were not only fighting the war, they were fighting stress, chemicals and also the sight of death.

It also still haunts people to this day, emotionally and physically. As we have ANZAC day, the younger generation learn more and more about their and what they troops had to go through while at the war and after the

The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era proxy war sparked in the 1950s between the capitalist-supported South Vietnam and the communist-supported North Vietnamese. Marking history as the world’s first ever televised war, the Vietnam War was subject to widespread criticism and protest, sparking a clear divide between the Australian population. The Vietnam War period and its political fallout have left a staggeringly significant impact on both Australian foreign affairs and culture.

The Vietnam War was the longest twentieth century conflict in which Australians participated in. Overall there was no outcome to the conflict and over 4000 injured and 500 died. Australia joined with the US because of the growing fear of communism, the ANZUS and SEATO treaties and Australia's forward defence strategies. The outcome of the war was a failure, but Australia has come closer to America through

Almost thirty years after the last troops were pulled out of what was then South Vietnam, its effects are still felt in today’s society. It is hard not to find someone who’s life has not been affected because of this war. One of the most controversial decisions made in the war was to use chemicals to fight the enemy. The most boradly used chemiucal was called Agent Orange. Some people agreed with the use of Agent Orange. They saw it as a very viable weapon that needed to be used in order to keep the Communist from taking control of South Vietnam and subverting their democratic government. Many others disapproved of its use. They knew, correctly, that it would severely devastate the landscape of Vietnam and would forever ruin the

The war in Vietnam was, and continues to be, one of the most controversial hot button topics in American history. The military’s use of dangerous pesticides, like Agent Orange, is a major part of this controversy. Agent Orange is a defoliant that was widely used to deforest dense jungle areas to reduce both hiding places and food sources for the Vietnamese. During the war, American B-52 bombers released over nineteen million gallons of Agent Orange over the Vietnamese countryside. After ten years of continuous dumping, 1971 finally marked the end of America’s use of Agent Orange and other herbicides. In 1974, the United States government, headed by Richard Nixon, swore the country would never again use chemical weapons in a first strike. (Levy and Scott-Clark)

“We were told, ‘it’s totally safe and it won’t hurt you at all,” he added. “We were told you can drink it, you can brush your teeth with it, or you can bathe in it. It won’t hurt you. Those were lies.” (“U.S. Soldiers Sprayed Agent Orange across Korea” 1) Agent Orange was an herbicide used by the United States military forces in Vietnam between 1962 and 1971 to destroy their enemies’ food supply, land, and protection. Twelve million gallons of this toxin were sprayed. (Department of Preventive Medicine 1) It affected the Vietnamese and the American troops who were fighting in the same jungle. Little did the United States military know the effects of this dangerous herbicide. It caused many long-term complications, including health problems

This causes death to innocent people after the war and there were also many innocent people killed during the war which bothered America’s inner voice and for many that inner voice became an outer voice in protests. The second issue of Agent Orange also bothered the conscience of the United States. “Between 1961 and 1971 about 20 million gallons of herbicides were dropped on South Vietnam.” (Black 19) The U.S. “...had no idea of how dioxin, the lethal contaminant in Agent Orange, might blight [people’s] lives down through 3 generations.” (Black 14) This was a very inhumane tactic used in the war and many who opposed the Vietnam war “...felt that U.S. actions in Southeast Asia were crimes against humanity.” (Maxwell 439) The Vietnam war also

This made it easier for veterans to file for disability because the VA now were forced to presume that everyone who served in Vietnam was exposed to Agent Orange and subsequently entitled to disability benefits. World War II veterans may benefit from a similar law that would allow them to file for disability claims due to their exposure of mustard gas, but as of today it is not likely to happen. The Department of Veterans Affairs is quoted as saying that “they are there working in good faith to do right by these veterans.” However, it seems quite evident that the WWII veterans will probably run out of time before this issue is resolved (C. Dickerson,

The Vietnam War was the longest and most unpopular american war of the twentieth century (Mintz S. & S. McNeil). Resulting in roughly 58,000 american deaths and 2 million vietnamese deaths, the twenty year war was a long and bloody battle that not only impacted the soldiers, but many civilians as well (“Vietnam War”). “It’s estimated that 70,000 to 300,000 Vietnam Veterans committed suicide and around 700,000 veterans suffered psychological trauma” (Rexy). Starting in (debateably) 1955. the Vietnam War scars Vietnam even today, as birth defects and vegetation ruin are still major problems in the country (Bia, Ku). The Vietnam War which caused so much death and destruction and the USA roughly 140 billion dollars (950 billion in today’s time) resulted in the USA withdrawing and achieving nothing they had sought to achieve, showing that war should only be fought if absolutely necessary.

Heard throughout the song, “war, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing” was straight to the Stars opinion about war (Starr, Lines 26-27). The entire song points to the negative aspect of war. “War means tears, to thousands of mothers eyes, when their sons go to fight, and lose their lives” is the most distressing lyric, but also the most powerful (Starr, Lines 24-25). It is the raw emotion that war creates; with its detailed description, the audience can paint a picture in their mind. The ‘thousands of mothers’ expresses the loss of mot only those at war but the loss felt back in the homeland. Loved ones left behind to mourn and support the family. The loss is felt in the population dwindling, the need for skilled workers, and the loss of what could have been. “War” had a clear message that war had nothing but negative effects. Popular culture is also seen in the lyric, “when Che Guevara taught of love being at the center of revolutionary endeavor, he meant both, for people like Che or George Jackson or Malcolm X” (Starr, Lines 16-18). Pointing to the people that were also anti-war and how they were revolutionaries.

Good morning fellow Australians. With great happiness and melancholy simultaneously, it is my duty to inform you officially that the Vietnam war has come to its conclusion. We may allow ourselves a brief period of rejoicing; but let us not forget for a moment the toil and efforts that lie ahead. Japan with all her treachery and greed, remains unsubdued.

We must do everything in our power to make the world recognize that our veterans are still paying a high price for fighting the war in Vietnam. Agent Orange is slowly taking the lives of these brave veterans. The government has recognized some diseases but the rules to compensation can be complex. It was in the 1960's that we were in the process of trying to destroy vegetation and brush in Vietnam, in doing so we proceeded to contaminate one of the largest parts of the environment, Humankind. War Veterans were exposed to Agent Orange and now live their lives with a disease not necessarily curable. The question remains did these Veterans know about the hazardous effects, and how are they being compensated now? Agent Orange was the code