19 (song) shoved into jungles and shot at." The title "19" comes from the documentary's claim that the average age of an American combat soldier in the war was 19, as compared to World War II's 26. This claim has since been disputed. Undisputed statistics do not exist, although Southeast Asia Combat Area Casualties Current File (CACCF), the source for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, shows a large number of deaths (38%) were ages 19 or 20. According to the same source, 23 is the average age at time of death (or time of declaration of death). The song also comments that while
Women in the Vietnam War who are simply considered bystanders, immune to the worst horrors of war, yet they are often the ones who have to pick up the pieces. Political philosopher Jean Bethke Elshtain argues often that “Women in Wars are simply viewed as a collective ‘other’ to the males heroes we often hear and read about”. Sadly, because women were not often “allowed” to serve in combat, many were never officially drafted, so any acknowledgment of service, at least on paper, is limited. Today there is relatively little data about female Vietnam War veterans. The VMF (Vietnam Women’s Memorial Foundation) has estimated that