Song Brings Home The Young Man's War

June 27, 1985|By Prakash Gandhi of The Sentinel Staff

A controversial song about the Vietnam War is a hit among veterans of the conflict living in Florida.

The record, ''19,'' written by English musician Paul Hardcastle, spent more than a month at the top of the English hit parade and is moving up the American charts.

It has come under fire from critics who claim that it trivializes the Vietnam War and ignores the suffering of the Vietnamese people, but leaders of Vietnam veterans organizations in Central Florida said they like the disco- oriented song, which stresses that the average age of the American soldier in Vietnam was 19.

''I thought it was dynamic and dramatic when I heard it,'' said Jim Jordan, president of the Vietnam Veterans of Central Florida. ''I have not really gotten into the lyrics yet. But I think that anything that is positive to the Vietnam veterans is a good thing.''

The record also won the approval of Gordon Burby of South Daytona, a member of the Vietnam Veterans of America.

''It brought back a lot of memories of what happened in Vietnam,'' he said. ''I like the song and also the video. The song is accurate. I was 20 when I went to Vietnam, but a lot of guys in my group were 18 or 19.

John Allen, president of the Vietnam Veterans of West Volusia, said that he thinks making records about Vietnam is a good idea.

''I don't think the point about the soldiers being so young has been hammered home strongly enough,'' he said.

''People I speak to at universities, high schools and other places are amazed at how young the soldiers were.

''I was 21 when I went to Vietnam and I was the oldest among a group of 30.''

Ron Brown, president of the Vietnam veterans group of Marion County, said the song is another indication of the interest in Vietnam veterans among young people.

''We tend to get a lot of support from people between 15 and 25. There is a kinship there that you don't get with other generations.''

''I don't think it will cause offense. If people are offended, they don't have to listen to it.''

Brown added that he was not opposed to Hardcastle making money from a song about the war.

''A lot of folks made money out of Vietnam, more so than this guy ever will.''

Hardcastle, who said he plans to give some of the record's royalties to veterans' groups, wrote the song after seeing an award-winning ABC program, Vietnam Requiem.

He was especially haunted by the youth of the American soldiers in Vietnam and the fact that many were considered outcasts when they returned home. The unceremonious and often hostile reception that met many of the returning veterans also is addressed in the song.

''I remembered what I was like at 19 so I identified with the people,'' Hardcastle, 27, has said. ''I also couldn't believe that anyone could be made to go through hell like they did and then get treated like they were aliens or something when they got home.''

He said he put the disco backing on the narration because that is the style in which he works.

''I just wanted to inform a few people about something that shouldn't be forgotten.

''I don't see it as pro or anti anything. To me, it's just a musical documentary, a very human -- and sad -- story.''

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