ITEMS LEFT AT THE WALL

Hard mount, black leather motorcycle saddlebag. The artifact may have been previously affixed [?] to the steel frame of the associated Wisconsin Hero Bike (VIVE (15409)), 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 (although the bag is now disjoined from the bike). The motorcycle (along with the saddlebag) was transported to The Wall 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". The group displayed the bike and saddlebag at the apex of The Wall as a part of, "Rolling Thunder VIII / Run To The Wall '95" on Memorial Day weekend, May 27 - 29, 1995. On May 29, 1995 the bike and saddlebag were delivered to the National Park Service's (NPS) Museum Resource Center (MRCE) and were formally accessioned into the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Collection along with the associated service identification tags (VIVE (10660)), a memorial plaque (VIVE (10662)), and a document binder detailing the production of the motorcycle (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.

MOTORCYCLE SADDLEBAG. THE OBJECT CONSISTS OF A HARD MOUNT MOTORCYCLE SADDLEBAG DESIGNED FOR ATTACHMENT NEAR THE REAR WHEEL. THE OBJECT IS COMPRISED OF BLACK LEATHER WITH WHITE THREAD CROSS-HATCH [?] STITCHING PRODUCING A DIAMOND PATTERN AT THE OBVERSE OBJECT SURFACE, AND BACKED TO A RIGID FIBERGLASS SUPPORT FRAME. BLACK LEATHER FRINGE TRIMS THE LOWER EDGE OF THE SADDLEBAG, WHILE THE BAG AND LID ARE CONJOINED VIA A METAL HINGE AND SECURED VIA A LOCKING MECHANISM. THE SADDLEBAG MAY HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY AFFIXED TO THE FRAME OF THE ASSOCIATED WISCONSIN HERO BIKE (VIVE (15409)) [?], WHICH WAS 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 (ALTHOUGH THE BAG IS NOW DISJOINED FROM 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 ALONG WITH THE SADDLEBAG. ON MAY 29, 1995 THE BIKE AND SADDLEBAG WERE DELIVERED TO THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE'S (NPS) MUSEUM RESOURCE CENTER (MRCE) AND FORMALLY ACCESSIONED INTO THE VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL COLLECTION. THE OBJECT IS ASSOCIATED WITH VIVE (10660, 10662, 10663, 11400, & 15409). ACCORDING TO NPS/MRCE COLLECTIONS STAFF, THE ASSOCIATED DOCUMENT BINDER (VIVE (10663)) IS PRESENTLY MISSING AND UNACCOUNTED FOR.

Item Weight: 4200.0g
Item Width: 49.0cm
Item Height: 38.5cm
Item Depth: 16.7cm