ITEMS LEFT AT THE WALL

Wisconsin Hero Bike custom-built Harley-Davidson motorcycle (chopper), also referred to as the "Wisconsin Rolling Memorial". Built in honor of the thirty-seven (37) Wisconsin Vietnam veterans listed by the Department of Defense (DOD) as POW*MIA at the time of production, the motorcycle incorporates the names of each of the "Wisconsin 37" in original paint schemes by U.S. Marine Corps and Vietnam veteran Wolfman "Jack" Shaulik. A non-military issue, commemorative service identification tag (or "dog tag") for each of the Wisconsin 37 (VIVE (10660)) is also affixed to the frame of the bike. The chopper was constructed by members of the "Bike For The Wall Committee", a group of Wisconsin Vietnam veterans and motorcycle enthusiasts led by, "Hogman" Bob Thompson, "Polack" & Marlene Pezewski, "Shooter" & Deb Rutkowski, Ron Mungo Oleszak, "Kickstand" & Jen, and "Gator" & Carla "Pig Heart". Construction began on the bike at Willie's R&R Service in Hartford, Wisconsin in June 1994 with donations of cash and parts from supporters throughout the state. The bike was tagged with a license plate reading, "HERO", a plate registered in April 1994 to the people of Wisconsin and summarily retired by the state's governor. According to members of the "Committee", no one will be permitted to sit upon the bike until all American POW*MIAs from the Vietnam War are accounted for and returned home. As a part of, "Rolling Thunder VIII / Run To The Wall '95" the bike left Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Thursday, May 25th and reached the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (VVM) in Washington, D.C. on May 27, 1995 where it remained on public display at the apex of The Wall for three (3) days during the Memorial Day holiday. On May 29, 1995 the bike was delivered to the National Park Service's (NPS) Museum Resource Center (MRCE) and was formally accessioned into the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Collection along with the associated service identification tags (VIVE (10660)), a motorcycle saddlebag (VIVE (10661)), a memorial plaque (VIVE (10662)), and a document binder detailing the production of the chopper (VIVE (10663)). An associated framed color photograph (VIVE (11400)) depicting members of the Bike For The Wall Committee posing with the motorcycle and associated artifacts while on display at The Wall during Memorial Day 1995 was later accessioned into the collection on August 2, 1995.

WISCONSIN "BIKE FOR THE WALL" CUSTOM-BUILT HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE, ALSO VARIOUSLY REFERRED TO AS THE "WISCONSIN HERO BIKE" AND/OR AS THE "WISCONSIN ROLLING MEMORIAL". THE OBJECT IS DEDICATED TO U.S. NAVY LIEUTENANT (LT) MICHAEL JOHN ALLARD, U.S. MARINE CORPS LANCE CORPORAL (LCPL) MERLIN RAYE ALLEN, U.S NAVY LIEUTENANT COMMANDER (LCDR) WILLIAM TAMM ARNOLD, U.S. MARINE CORPS MAJOR (MAJ) NORMAN KARL BILLIPP, U.S. MARINE CORPS PRIVATE FIRST CLASS (PFC) THOMAS JOSEPH BLACKMAN, U.S. ARMY MAJOR (MAJ) RICHARD LEE BOWERS, U.S. AIR FORCE CAPTAIN (CAPT) ROBERT IRA BUSH, U.S. MARINE CORPS CAPTAIN (CAPT) PAUL DAVID DERBY, U.S. AIR FORCE LIEUTENANT COLONEL (LT COL) DONALD WILLIAM DOWNING, U.S. AIR FORCE CAPTAIN (CAPT) WALTER FRANK DRAEGER JR, U.S. ARMY SERGEANT (SGT) WILLIAM ANTHONY EVANS, U.S. AIR FORCE CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT (CMSGT) CHARLES RICHARD FELLENZ, U.S. MARINE CORPS CAPTAIN (CAPT) EDWIN JAMES FICKLER, U.S. MARINE CORPS GUNNERY SERGEANT (GYSGT) RICHARD WILLIAM FISCHER, U.S. ARMY SERGEANT (SGT) PAUL REID FRAZIER, U.S. NAVY AVIATION OFFICER CANDIDATE (AOC) DONALD LOUIS GALLAGHER, U.S. MARINE CORPS CAPTAIN (CAPT) PAUL STUART GEE, U.S. NAVY AVIATION BOATSWAIN'S MATE (AIRCRAFT HANDLER) PETTY OFFICER THIRD CLASS (ABH3) WILLIAM DALE GORSUCH, U.S. NAVY AVIATION ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN (NAVIGATION) PETTY OFFICER SECOND CLASS (ATN2) JOHN FRANCIS HARTZHEIM, U.S. ARMY SPECIALIST 5 (SP5) RICHARD JAY HENTZ, U.S. NAVY LIEUTENANT JUNIOR GRADE (LTJG) ROY ARTHUR HUSS, U.S. ARMY SERGEANT FIRST CLASS (SFC) RANDOLPH LEROY JOHNSON, U.S. AIR FORCE CAPTAIN (CAPT) JAMES ALAN KETTERER, U.S. AIR FORCE CAPTAIN (CAPT) ROY ROBERT KUBLEY, U.S. NAVY COMMANDER (CDR) JAMES DAVID LA HAYE, U.S. MARINE CORPS CAPTAIN (CAPT) DAVID LEVERETT LEET, U.S. AIR FORCE STAFF SERGEANT (SSGT) TODD MICHAEL MELTON, U.S. MARINE CORPS CAPTAIN (CAPT) HAROLD JOHN MOE, U.S. ARMY CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER 3 (CW3) WILLIAM C PIERSON III, U.S. ARMY MAJOR (MAJ) DALE WAYNE RICHARDSON, U.S. ARMY SPECIALIST 4 (SP4) PETER ALDEN SCHMIDT, U.S. MARINE CORPS PRIVATE FIRST CLASS (PFC) DUWAYNE SOULIER, U.S. ARMY WARRANT OFFICER 1 (WO1) ALBERT RAYMOND TRUDEAU, U.S. MARINE CORPS SERGEANT (SGT) JAMES NEIL TYCZ, U.S. ARMY STAFF SERGEANT (SSG) JAMES LEE VAN BENDEGOM, U.S. AIR FORCE COLONEL (COL) ROBERT FREDERICK WILKE, & U.S. MARINE CORPS LANCE CORPORAL (LCPL) RAYMOND THOMAS HEYNE. THE BIKE IS A CUSTOM-BUILT, 1960'S-ERA SHOVELHEAD FLH MODEL "CHOPPER", POLICE SPECIAL SERIAL # "2A64291H8". THE OBJECT FEATURES: AN AIR-COOLED, FORTY-FIVE (45) DEGREE, V-TWIN SHOVELHEAD ENGINE, A FULLY-CHROMED EXTENDED FRONT FORK & CHROMED FRONT AND REAR SUSPENSION COMPONENTS, FULLY-CHROMED FISHTAIL DRAG PIPES, OIL TANK, HEADLAMP, H-BAR- OR WINDOW-STYLE HANDLEBARS [?], DRIVETRAIN COVER, & CARBURETOR COVER WITH THE PHRASE, "S & S / SUPER" STAMPED IN RECESSED, BLOCK LETTERING, A CUSTOM-PAINTED FAT BOB-STYLE [?] GAS TANK, CUSTOM-PAINTED REAR FENDER, HAND-TOOLED BLACK LEATHER SEAT WITH FRINGE, HAND-TOOLED BROWN LEATHER HANDLEBAR GRIPS WITH ENGRAVED BAR CAPS, HAND-TOOLED LEATHER GAS TANK PATCH WITH 'WISCONSIN 37' POW*MIA INSIGNIA, ONE (1) CONTI MILESTONE BRAND REAR TIRE & ONE (1) CHENG SHIN BRAND FRONT TIRE, AND AN AFFIXED STATE OF WISCONSIN MOTORCYCLE LICENSE PLATE WITH CHROME TRIM READING, "HERO / WIS / 94 / APR" IN GREEN, RAISED AND RECESSED BLOCK SCRIPT/ARABIC NUMERALS OVER A WHITE BACKGROUND. THE GAS TANK AND REAR FENDER ARE EXECUTED UTILIZING A MULTI-LAYERED PAINTING TECHNIQUE, IN SHADES OF RED, GREEN, BROWN, ORANGE, BLACK, & BLUE. THE PAINTED SCENE AT THE PROPER RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF THE GAS TANK DEPICTS A LONE MALE SERVICE MEMBER, ARMED AND IN MILITARY ISSUE FIELD ATTIRE. THE SERVICEMAN IS PRESENTED SEATED AND CLASPING HIS HANDS ABOVE HIS HEAD IN FRONT OF A WALL MEMORIAL OVERGROWN WITH GREEN VEGETATION AND BEARING THE NAMES OF NINETEEN (19) POW*MIA AMERICAN SERVICE PERSONNEL FROM THE STATE OF WISCONSIN (MEMBERS OF THE 'WISCONSIN 37') INSCRIBED IN BLACK, BLOCK LETTERING/ROMAN NUMERALS. THE PROPER LEFT-HAND SIDE OF THIS PAINTED ILLUSTRATION ALSO DEPICTS TWO (2) BELL UH-1 IROQUOIS "HUEY" HELICOPTER AIRCRAFT FLYING OUT OF A SUNSET SCENE, WHILE THE BASE OR BACKGROUND COLORS OF THE GAS TANK ARE METALLIC RED AND BLUE. THE PAINTED SCENE AT THE PROPER LEFT-HAND SIDE OF THE GAS TANK IS VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL TO THAT AT THE PROPER RIGHT-HAND SIDE, ALTHOUGH THE WALL MEMORIAL IN THIS ILLUSTRATION FEATURES THE INSCRIBED NAMES OF THE REMAINING EIGHTEEN (18) POW*MIA AMERICAN SERVICE MEMBERS COMPRISING THE 'WISCONSIN 37'. THE REAR FENDER IS PAINTED IN A BASE COLOR OF METALLIC RED, WITH A SCENE DEPICTING A LONE SERVICE MEMBER IN MILITARY ISSUE FIELD ATTIRE, BENDING AT THE WAIST AND TOUCHING A HEADSTONE UPON A GRAVE WITH A SMALL, UNITED STATES NATIONAL FLAG AT THE LOWER, PROPER LEFT-HAND CORNER. ABOVE THE FIGURE AND HEADSTONE IS A GEOGRAPHIC OUTLINE OF THE NATION OF VIETNAM, WITH THE PHRASE, "VIET NAM" EXECUTED IN BLACK, BLOCK SCRIPT AND THE TWO (2) CITIES, "HANOI" AND "HO CHI MINH CITY" DESIGNATED AT THEIR RESPECTIVE GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS ON THE NATIONAL OUTLINE AND WITH THE NAMES OF THESE CITES EXECUTED IN BLACK, BLOCK SCRIPT. SURMOUNTING ALL IN THIS PAINTED ILLUSTRATION ARE TWO (2) BELL UH-1 IROQUOIS "HUEY" HELICOPTERS DESCENDING FROM A BLUE SKY TOWARDS THE LONE FIGURE AND HEADSTONE THROUGH A SUNSET SCENE. THE TWO (2) ILLUSTRATIONS UPON THE GAS TANK ARE EACH SIGNED, "WOLF MAN '95" IN BLOCK SCRIPT/ARABIC NUMERALS, WHILE THE PAINTED SCENE UPON THE REAR FENDER BEARS THE INSCRIPTION, "PAINT BY "WOLF-MAN" / U.S.M.C. '68-'69". THE LEATHER SEAT BEARS AN EMBOSSED REPRESENTATION OF THE VIETNAM SERVICE MEDAL RIBBON IN GREEN, RED, AND YELLOW, SUPERIMPOSED OVER CROSSED M-16 RIFLES EXECUTED IN BLACK INSIDE A CENTRAL, CIRCULARLY SHAPED DISK. AN ENCIRCLING BLACK DISK (TRIMMED IN SILVER) BEARS AN EMBOSSED INSCRIPTION IN BLOCK, SILVER LETTERING READING, "POW-MIAs / BRING EM HOME OR SEND US BACK". THE CENTRAL DECORATIVE MOTIF AND EXTERIOR SEAT EDGES ARE ADORNED WITH WOVEN LEATHER THONGS, WHILE THE SEAT ITSELF IS TRIMMED IN BLACK LEATHER FRINGE. THE TWO (2) BLACK LEATHER HANDLEBAR GRIPS EACH SPORT AN AFFIXED BROWN LEATHER SWATCH WITH A REPRESENTATION OF THE VIETNAM SERVICE MEDAL RIBBON HAND-TOOLED AND EXECUTED IN SHADES OF BROWN, GREEN, & RED, WHILE EACH HANDLEBAR BEARS A METAL BAR CAP WITH ENGRAVED FLORAL DESIGN. A RECTANGULARLY SHAPED, BROWN LEATHER PATCH AFFIXED TO THE UPPER, CENTER SURFACE OF THE GAS TANK IS TRIMMED IN LEATHER THONG AND BEARS SEVEN (7) AFFIXED, FIVE (5)-POINTED, SILVER COLORED METAL STARS (THREE (3) ABOVE AND FOUR (4) BELOW) ENCIRCLING AN AFFIXED 'WISCONSIN 37' CLOTH PATCH INSIGNIA. THE 'WISCONSIN 37' CLOTH PATCH INSIGNIA IS FASHIONED IN A SHAPE REPRESENTING THE GEOGRAPHIC OUTLINE OF THE STATE OF WISCONSIN AND CONSISTS OF A REPRESENTATION OF THE POW*MIA NATIONAL LOGO (I.E. A WHITE, CIRCULARLY SHAPED DISK AT THE CENTER BEARING A BLACKENED SILHOUETTE OF A SOLDIER FACING TO THE PROPER LEFT-HAND SIDE IN FRONT OF A BLACK GUARD TOWER AND WHITE BARBED WIRE BELOW WITH THE PHRASE, "POW*MIA" EMBROIDERED IN WHITE, ARCHED, BLOCK LETTERING ALONG THE UPPER EDGE OF THE DESIGN AND THE CORRESPONDING PHRASE, "YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN" SIMILARLY EMBROIDERED ALONG THE LOWER EDGE OF THE DESIGN) WITH THE PHRASE, "REMEMBER" EMBROIDERED IN WHITE, BLOCK, VERTICALLY-ORIENTED SCRIPT AT THE UPPER, PROPER RIGHT-HAND CORNER AND "37" EMBROIDERED IN ARABIC NUMERALS AT THE LOWER, PROPER LEFT-HAND CORNER. THE MOTORCYCLE ODOMETER GAUGE RECORDS AN ORIGINAL MILEAGE OF, "13245". BUILT IN HONOR OF THE THIRTY-SEVEN (37) WISCONSIN VIETNAM VETERANS LISTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD) AS POW*MIA AT THE TIME, THE MOTORCYCLE INCORPORATES THE NAMES OF EACH OF THE "WISCONSIN 37" IN ORIGINAL PAINT DESIGNS BY U.S. MARINE CORPS VETERAN WOLFMAN "JACK" SHAULIK. A NON-MILITARY ISSUE, COMMEMORATIVE SERVICE IDENTIFICATION TAG (OR "DOG TAG") FOR EACH OF THE WISCONSIN 37 (VIVE (10660)) IS ALSO AFFIXED TO THE FRAME OF THE BIKE. THE CHOPPER WAS CONSTRUCTED BY MEMBERS OF THE "BIKE FOR THE WALL COMMITTEE", A GROUP OF WISCONSIN VIETNAM VETERANS AND MOTORCYCLE ENTHUSIASTS LED BY, "HOGMAN" BOB THOMPSON, "POLACK" & MARLENE PEZEWSKI, "SHOOTER" & DEB RUTKOWSKI, RON MUNGO OLESZAK, "KICKSTAND" & JEN, AND "GATOR" & CARLA "PIG HEART". CONSTRUCTION BEGAN ON THE BIKE AT WILLIE'S R&R SERVICE IN HARTFORD, WISCONSIN IN JUNE 1994 WITH DONATIONS OF CASH AND PARTS FROM SUPPORTERS THROUGHOUT THE STATE. THE BIKE WAS TAGGED WITH A LICENSE PLATE READING "HERO" [APRIL 1994], A PLATE REGISTERED TO THE PEOPLE OF WISCONSIN AND SUMMARILY RETIRED BY THE STATE'S GOVERNOR. AS A PART OF, "ROLLING THUNDER VIII / RUN TO THE WALL '95" THE BIKE LEFT MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN ON THURSDAY, MAY 25TH AND REACHED THE VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL (VVM) IN WASHINGTON, D.C. ON MAY 27, 1995 WHERE IT REMAINED ON PUBLIC DISPLAY AT THE APEX OF THE WALL FOR THREE (3) DAYS DURING THE MEMORIAL DAY HOLIDAY. ON MAY 29, 1995 THE BIKE WAS DELIVERED TO THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE'S (NPS) MUSEUM RESOURCE CENTER (MRCE) AND FORMALLY ACCESSIONED INTO THE VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL COLLECTION. THIRTY-EIGHT (38) ASSOCIATED NON-MILITARY ISSUE, COMMEMORATIVE SERVICE IDENTIFICATION TAGS (OR "DOG TAGS") STRUNG ON A LENGTH OF SILVER COLORED METAL BALL CHAIN ALONG WITH A MILITARY ISSUE, P-38 CAN OPENER (VIVE (10660)) ARE AFFIXED TO THE MOTORCYCLE AND SUSPENDED FROM THE FRAME OF THE BIKE FORWARD OF THE GAS TANK. THE OBJECT IS ASSOCIATED WITH VIVE (10660 - 10663 & 11400). ACCORDING TO NPS/MRCE COLLECTIONS STAFF, THE ASSOCIATED DOCUMENT BINDER (VIVE (10663)) IS PRESENTLY MISSING AND UNACCOUNTED FOR.

Text of the various stamped, embossed, hand-painted, and embroidered inscriptions upon the object is transcribed in full, as follows: [Gas tank illustration, proper right-hand side, hand-painted inscriptions] "RICHARD WILLIAM FISHER [sic] / WILLIAM ANTHONY EVANS / DUWAYNE SOULIER / PETER ALDEN SCHMIDT- / PAUL SGEE [sic]- / RAYMOND THOMAS HEYNE [sic] / ALBERT RAYMOND TRUDEAU / DAVID LEVERETT LEET- / JAMES NEIL TYCZ / JAMES LEE VANBENDEGOM [sic] / ROBERT F. WILKE / CHARLES R. FELLENZ - / ROY ROBERT KUBLEY / HAROLD JOHN MOE - / TODD M MELTON / DALE W RICHARDSON / JAMES DAVID LA HAYE / RANDOLPH L JOHNSON / RICHARD JAY HENTZ / Wolf Man '95" / [Gas tank illustration, proper left-hand side, hand-painted inscriptions] "MICHAEL JOHN ALLARD / MERLIN RAY ALLEN - / EDWIN JAMES FICKLER / THOMAS JOSEPH BLACKMAN / PAUL DAVID DERBY - / JOHN FRANCIS HARTZHEIM / DONALD L GALLAGHER / WILLIAM C PIERSON III / RICHARD LEE BOWERS - / PAUL REID FRAZIER / WILLIAM TAMM ARNOLD - / ROY ARTHUR HUSS / WALTER FRANK DRAEGER JR. / ROBERT IRA BUSH - / NORMAN KARL BILLIPP / DONALD WILLIAM DOWNING / JAMES ALLEN KETTERER / WILLIAM D. GORSUCH / Wolf Man '95" / [Rear fender, hand-painted inscription] "VIET NAM / •Hanoi / •Ho Chi Minh City / PAINT BY "WOLF-MAN" / U.S.M.C. '68-'69" / [Leather seat, embossed inscription] "POW-MIAs / BRING EM HOME OR SEND US BACK" / [Leather tank patch, embroidered inscription] "POW*MIA / YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN / REMEMBER / 37" / [License plate, raised lettering inscription] "HERO / WIS / 94 / APR" / [Carburetor cover, stamped inscription] "S & S / SUPER" / [Speedometer/gauge panel, stamped inscriptions] "Harley-Davidson / POLICE SPECIAL / MADE IN U.S.A."

Item Weight: 340.2kg (Collective weight of VIVE (15409 & 10660))
Item Length: 270.0cm
Item Width: 68.0cm
Item Height: 118.0cm