1. Death
2. Emotions
3. Friendship
4. Historical fiction
5. Memory
6. Music
7. Sadness
8. Soldiers
9. Trauma
10. Vietnam War
11. War

In March 1983, John Schumann and the band Redgum released the song ‘I was only Nineteen’. The song had its genesis in a long and deep conversation Schumann had with his brother-in-law, who had served in Vietnam. The song, particularly its refrain ‘God help me. I was only nineteen’, had an immediate and emotional impact, uniting Australia’s Vietnam veterans and leading to a national conversation about the struggles many Vietnam veterans have had since their return.

The Vietnam war was the first fully televised war. Daily news broadcasts contained often distressing images of the war and it became deeply unpopular with many in the community. These feelings flowed over onto the treatment of many of the men who served in Vietnam despite their serving being entirely at the behest of the politicians of the day.

In the song, a grandfather recalls his time serving during the Vietnam war, the excitement, the mateships, the danger, the noise, the deaths and the aftermath effects that traumatise his everyday existence.

This illustrated version of the song was published in 2014. Craig Smith’s artwork, both in watercolour and black and white, provides strong imagery for the song’s lyrics. It thus gives an important visual interpretation of one of Australia’s most iconic and historically important songs.

1. Scholastic Australia ASO Readers Notes for ‘I was only nineteen’ by John Schumann and Craig Smith https://resource.scholastic.com.au/resourcefiles/8289662_8541.docx
2. Kids’ Book Review 24 February 2014 Review by Susan Whelan of ‘I was only nineteen’ by John Schumann and Craig Smith http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2014/02/review-i-was-only-nineteen.html
3. Historical Novel Society May 2015 Review by Jane Burke of ‘I was only nineteen’ https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/i-was-only-nineteen/
4. ‘I was only Nineteen’ by John Schumann & Craig Smith, video reading of the book. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_phU8iZnZQ
5. YouTube of ‘I was only nineteen’ by John Schumann and Craig Smith. Sung by John Schumann and the Vagabonds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaOQ5YIhlYs
6. Commonwealth of Australia The Grand Bogan video performance of ‘I was only nineteen’ using original footage of the Vietnam War from Screen Australia and the Australian War memorial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKZOD6oxamo
7. Australia Government Department of Veterans’ Affairs Anzac Portal February 2022 ‘The Australian Media and the Vietnam War : Great Debates’ https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/resources/australian-media-and-vietnam-war-great-debates
8. Redflag 23 September 2022 ‘Students in the anti-Vietnam war-movement in Australia’ by Grace Hill https://redflag.org.au/article/students-anti-vietnam-war-movement-australia