Em                  A    Em
  In Vietnam he was nineteen
                       A
In Vietnam he was nineteen
N-n-n-n-nineteen

[Verse 2]
(narrated)
     Em
The heaviest fighting of the past two
         A                               Em
weeks continued today 25 miles west of Saigon.

(narrated)
  A
I wasn't really sure what was going on
Em
   N-n-n-n-nineteen     nineteen
   A                Em  A
   N-n-n-n-nineteen     nineteen

[Verse 3]
(narrated)
In Vietnam the combat soldier typically served a twelve month tour of duty,
but was exposed to hostile fire almost every day

Em   A                    Em   A
        N-n-n-n-nineteen           N-n-n-n-nineteen
Em   A                    Em   A
        N-n-n-n-nineteen           N-n-n-n-nineteen

[Verse 4]
(narrated)
In Saigon a US military spokesman said today
"More then 700 enemy troops were killed last week in that
sensitive border area. Throughout all of South Vietnam the enemy
lost a total of 2,689 soldiers."

Em                            A
   All those who remember the war
Em                                 A
   they won't forget what they've seen
     Em         A                  Em                        A
destruction of men in their prime  ... whose average age was nineteen
Em        A    Em           A      Em
  Destruction  ...  Destruction.

[Verse 5]
(narrated)
According to a Veteran's Administration study, half of
the Vietnam combat veterans suffered from what Psychiatrists call
Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder.
Many vets complain of alienation, rage, or guilt.
Some succumb to suicidal thoughts.
Eight to ten years after coming home almost 800,000 men are
still fighting the Vietnam War.

[Interlude]
Em  A  Em  A
Em  A  Em  A

 Em                                       A
None of them received the hero's welcome
Em   A             Em  A
N-n-n-n-nineteen!
Em   A             Em  A
N-n-n-n-nineteen!
Em   A             Em  A
N-n-n-n-nineteen!

[Outro]
 Em       A          Em    A
Vietnam, Saigon, Vietnam, Saigon
 Em       A          Em    A
Vietnam, Saigon, Vietnam, Saigon

 Em            A       Em            A
Purple Heart, Saigon, Purple Heart, Saigon

 Em                               A      Em
Wasn't really sure what was going on
 Em                               A      Em
Wasn't really sure what was going on