ITEMS LEFT AT THE WALL

Wisconsin "Bike For The Wall 1995" memorial plaque. The plaque is comprised of a segment of stained/varnished wood fashioned into a shape resembling the geographic outline of the State of Wisconsin and bears a total of two hundred thirty-three (233) affixed brass plates with engraved inscriptions commemorating the participants and supporters involved in the Wisconsin "Bike For The Wall" project. This project focused on the production 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. The motorcycle (along with the plaque) 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 plaque 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 plaque 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)), motorcycle saddlebag (VIVE (10661)), 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.

WISCONSIN "BIKE FOR THE WALL 1995" MEMORIAL PLAQUE. THE OBJECT CONSISTS OF A LARGE PIECE OF IRREGULARLY SHAPED (FASHIONED INTO A SHAPE RESEMBLING THE GEOGRAPHIC OUTLINE OF THE STATE OF WISCONSIN), STAINED/VARNISHED WOOD FITTED INTO A CHANNEL CUT INTO THE UPPER SURFACE OF A RECTANGULARLY SHAPED BLOCK OF STAINED/VARNISHED WOOD WHICH FORMS THE PLAQUE BASE. AT THE REVERSE OBJECT SURFACE, A RECTANGULARLY SHAPED PLANK OF IDENTICALLY STAINED/VARNISHED WOOD IS AFFIXED TO THE REVERSE SURFACE OF THE WISCONSIN SHAPED PLAQUE VIA A BRASS METAL HINGE, A LENGTH OF METAL LINK CHAIN, AND TWO (2) EYELET SCREWS, THUSLY CREATING A STAND FOR DISPLAY OF THE OBJECT. THE WHOLE COLLECTIVELY FORMS AN EASEL-STYLE (I.E. FREE-STANDING) PLAQUE DESIGN. AFFIXED TO THE UPPER, PROPER RIGHT-HAND CORNER OF THE OBVERSE OBJECT SURFACE VIA FOUR (4) BRASS METAL SCREWS AT EACH OF THE FOUR (4) CORNERS IS A RECTANGULARLY SHAPED, BRASS METAL PLAQUE IDENTIFYING THE OCCASION FOR WHICH THE PLAQUE WAS COMMISSIONED, "WISCONSIN / BIKE FOR THE WALL", THE DATE, "1995", AND THE NAMES OF THE PRIMARY PARTICIPANTS, "HOGMAN / POLACK & MARLENE / SHOOTER & DEB / MUNGO / KICKSTAND & JEN / GATOR & CARLA" IN ENGRAVED, BLOCK SCRIPT/ARABIC NUMERALS. AFFIXED TO THE OBVERSE OBJECT SURFACE OF THE WOODEN BASE VIA TWO (2) BRASS METAL SCREWS AT EACH OF THE PROPER RIGHT- AND LEFT-HAND SIDES ARE TWO (2) RECTANGULARLY SHAPED, BRASS METAL PLAQUES SPECIFYING THE BUSINESS RESPONSIBLE FOR PRODUCTION OF THE PLAQUE, "INSTYLE / PRO SHOP" AND THE ARTIST/WOODWORKER WHO COMPLETED THE TASK, "CUSTOM WOODWORKING / C.J. SCHWARTZ" IN ENGRAVED, BLOCK SCRIPT. AFFIXED TO THE CENTER OF THE OBVERSE OBJECT SURFACE OF THE PLAQUE VIA TWO (2) BRASS METAL SCREWS AT EACH OF THE PROPER RIGHT- AND LEFT-HAND SIDES ARE ONE HUNDRED SIXTY-SEVEN (167) RECTANGULARLY SHAPED, BRASS METAL PLAQUES (ARRANGED INTO NINE (9) VERTICAL COLUMNS OF UP TO TWENTY-FOUR (24) HORIZONTAL ROWS EACH) BEARING THE NAMES OF INDIVIDUALS, BUSINESSES, AND VETERANS ORGANIZATIONS FROM THE STATE OF WISCONSIN WHO SUPPORTED THE "WISCONSIN HERO BIKE" PROJECT ENGRAVED IN BLOCK SCRIPT/ARABIC NUMERALS. AFFIXED TO THE PROPER RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF THE REVERSE OBJECT SURFACE OF THE PLAQUE VIA TWO (2) BRASS METAL SCREWS AT EACH OF THE PROPER RIGHT- AND LEFT-HAND SIDES ARE AN ADDITIONAL SIXTY-SIX (66) RECTANGULARLY SHAPED, BRASS METAL PLAQUES (ARRANGED INTO FOUR (4) VERTICAL COLUMNS OF UP TO SEVENTEEN (17) HORIZONTAL ROWS EACH) BEARING THE NAMES OF INDIVIDUALS, BUSINESSES, AND VETERANS ORGANIZATIONS FROM THE STATE OF WISCONSIN WHO SUPPORTED THE PROJECT ENGRAVED IN BLOCK SCRIPT/ARABIC NUMERALS. THE PLAQUE COMMEMORATES THE PARTICIPANTS AND SUPPORTERS INVOLVED IN THE PRODUCTION 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. THE PLAQUE RECOGNIZES THE CHOPPER'S CONSTRUCTION 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 MEMORIAL PLAQUE. ON MAY 29, 1995 THE BIKE AND PLAQUE 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, 10661, 10663, 11400, & 15409). ACCORDING TO NPS/MRCE COLLECTIONS STAFF, THE ASSOCIATED DOCUMENT BINDER (VIVE (10663)) IS PRESENTLY MISSING AND UNACCOUNTED FOR.

Text of the engraved inscriptions upon the various affixed brass plaques at the obverse and reverse object surfaces is transcribed in full, as follows: [Obverse object surface, upper, proper right-hand corner, affixed title plaque, engraved inscription] "Wisconsin / BIKE FOR THE WALL / 1995 / HOGMAN / POLACK & MARLENE / SHOOTER & DEB / MUNGO / KICKSTAND & JEN / GATOR & CARLA" / [Obverse object surface, base, lower edge, affixed plaques, engraved inscriptions] "INSTYLE / PROSHOP / CUSTOM WOODWORKING / C.J. SCHWARTZ" / [Obverse object surface, affixed individual acknowledgement plaques, upper-to-lower edge/proper right- to proper left-hand side, engraved inscriptions] "DENNIS "BUCK" THOMPSON / KAY STEFAN / BOB HARLEY / THOMAS BREITENBACH / DONNA WYCKLEDT / HOGMAN / PENELOPE & RICK SKAUGE / VIET NAM VETERANS BLACKHAWK 409 / EISENBERG LAW OFFICE / JEFF SPURAN / SHORTCUT VNV/MC / MARY JACOBS / RICK SHARROW / RUFF WITTKOP / TERRY HALL / DUWAYNE EST / POLACK & MARLENE PEZEWSKI / DON CONIGLIARO & RICK KOHMANS / ZANDI'S V-TWIN SERVICE / VNV/MC SUMMER TWISTER / BECKY JACOBS / DAVE RITTER / KATHY TROYER / PHIL NEVENFELDT / GEORGE STROBEL / LISA RUETH / GEMMA RYAN / OUTER LIMITS M/C / MIKE FRENTZEL / DARYL & PAM GOECKERMANN / MR. & MRS. GATOR "PIG HEART" / MATT & AMY SCHNEIDER / ROAR RUNNER BIKER BALL / WILLIE & KATHY'S SLINGER, WI / JERRY BELMORE / TIM SMITH / FRANIOS J. STAAB / JEFF RUETH / HAL'S HARLEY-DAVIDSON / CLAUDE PIPKINS / DAVE IVERSON / HANK GOECKERMAN / FLASHLIGHT / BOB STOCKINGER / ABATE 7E / ABATE 4B / ABATE OF WI 2D / ABATE 1H / ABATE OF WI 2C / ABATE OF WI 2H / ABATE 21 / ABATE 7D / KICKSTAND & JEN / DAVE & ARLENE ZANDER / BISON PLATING INC. / DAVE'S H-D TRUCK & 4X4 REPAIR / RICHARD MACHESKY / DONNA KOS / TREK BICYCLES / STEVEN J. POLEGA / MATT GRAETTINGER / CARL LEMM / HWG 45 AUTO / ROAR RUNNER M/C / GOLDIE HANSON / DENNY & VIVIAN BIRK / JACOBSON & HUPY / KIM WALTER / JOHN J. CHAPUT / OZAUKEE GUZZLERS M/C / BIKE TATOOS [sic] / DAN PETERS / DC EAGLES M/C / GARY BAUER / WENDY WILKENSON / SHOOTER & DEB RUTKOWSKI / BOB SHERMAN "WAYBACK" / SENATOR DAVE ZIEN / DAVE & ANGIE VEJVODA / GREGORY HANSEN / GREG RODD / TONY HUELTNER / EAGOR-SNAKE / STEVE WILLIAMS / GAIL COOK / BERNIE GRUENKE / MARVIN PARKER / MOOSES LEATHER & CYCLE / SUBURBAN HARLEY-DAVIDSON / GARY BAKIE / SCOTT & KIM KRIEGER / RON & LINDA HOWE / ROGER DEBOLT / DARREL KESTLER / RICK KEMP / DEB SCHETZ / KATHY PALMER / SUSAN D. SUANE / GLORIA GEITHAMER / RON MUNGO OLESZAK / ROBIN HANSON "BUGGER" / WILLIE'S R & R SERVICE / WOMEN IN THE WILD / MARY PLUTA / TOM TRADEWELL / TOM KOPMEYER / MAIKHI LOUNGE / DAN KIERSTEN / SARAH HARLEY / DAN PETERS / RICH CONLEE / JOHNNY W. VERBANAC / SAUK PRAIRIE HARLEY-DAVIDSON / STEVE SCHARRER / HONEST BOB CYCLE / V-TWIN CYCLE INC. / STAN & OLLIES / TOM MILLER / JIM C. BECKER / TRACI OLESZAK / DAVE VERBANAC / MACHO MAN / CODY / RICHIE & BRENT THOMPSON / WOLFMAN "JACK" SHAULIK / IMAGES BAR RICHFIELD / FRITZ SPIN / DIANE GRUENKE / MIKE BEYER / DERRYL SCHEEL / BUFFALO / GARY GOODMAN / MAD DOG'S / MARK HARTMANN / SAM RINGER / JOHN PRIGGE / I.O.M."MOSES" / KAREN GILLIARD / LAURENCE DEEGAN / WILLIAM MORRIS / MONTANA MAIDEN / STEVE LONGO / RUSTY SCHVETZ / HELMUTH SEJOGINS / PAUL DUCHARME / CARMEN ALIVAR / RICH & LAURIE THOMPSON / MAD CITY CYCLE / GARY KRUEGER / DAVE MALLETTE / DAVE FULLER / R & M ENTERPRISES / R.J. / HOUSE OF HARLEY-DAVIDSON / BRYAN GOECKERMAN / SPENCE MARTIN / TOM TATROE / KELLIE GENTILE / SCOTT & DONNA CHAPUT / ED SAFFRAN / KEN FUTTERLIEB / JOHN IVES / CHRIS MASON / GREG HIMMELSTEIN / B. J. & D. / TROLL" / [Reverse object surface, affixed individual acknowledgement plaques, upper-to-lower edge/proper right- to proper left-hand side, engraved inscriptions] "COLUMBIA CO. ABATE 8E / TIM KALMBACHER "ICE" / ETTA VANESKY "LADY BLUE" / DIRK & STEVE WILDT / RON & NANCY LEINER / MAIN DRAG CYCLES / EASY & WIDE GLIDE RR M/C / JOHN & LOIS TIVTCZENKO / BRNUO-TIGER & CO. / MIKE "STOOGE" BRANDT / LCPL JOHN BUDDE / VIET NAM VETERANS OF AMERICA CHAP. 221 / DAVID & BONNIE ZELEDON / GREG SMITH "ROCTOR" / JOE & MARY PALETTI / ZACK-JAKE-NIC BROOKE / CHAD & LEANNE RETTLER / EASY WIDE GLIDE RR MZ / JOHN & JODI MORROW / I.M.O. EUGENE THOMPSON / GERHARD HERRIGES GOOFY & APPLE HEAD / ABATE WI. REGION 6A / MICHAEL & KATHLEEN BROWN / GROSS-YAKSH VFW 6498 / SGT. TIMOTHY A. HOULE / TIM "ICE" KALMBACHER / RONALD SCHERBERT JR. / STAN & DEBBIE KOOHAN / MIKE "STOOGE" BRANDT / ABATE REGION 5B / I.M.O. LARRY LEE / KAY & DENNIS MANKE / RANDY HAAPAKOSKI & JODY KING / JOHN & SANDRA GOOCH / WAUKESHA CO. ABATE / JEAN & KEVIN NICHOLSON / MIKE & JACKIE FRENTZEL / ZACREE MYLES HOUFEK / JOHN POWLESS & MAUREEN GARRISON / CRAZY PEGGY PFAFF / ABATE 2E CALUMET CO. / VETERANS OF AMERICA MC / IMO SAMUEL RINGER / JAKE & JEAN & JEREMIAH JACOBS / B-BOY TREND'S / WAUKESHA CO. ABATE / FLY BY NIGHT LEATHER / ROBERT & DEBRA OGG / MANITOWOC H.O.G. CHAPTER / STEVE & KELLEY PANTEN / I.M.O. SAMUAL RINGER / DEAN "HEANY" VAN RIPPER / BOB & PAT KOENINGS / JIM & C.J. SCHUERMAN / DIANN & RAYMOND WICK / VETERANS OF AMERICA MC WI. & ILL. CHAP. A / VAN BEEK HARLEY / ABATE OF WI 1E / VNV M/C CHAPTER E / RICK & BRENDA BOYLE / G & B CUSTOM CYCLE / TOM & JUDY RYAN / GUY TIFFANY I.M.O. BRANDON TIFFANY / ABATE STATE MEETING / BETTY & ED KILMER / ABATE REGION 1B"

Item Weight: 6400.0g
Item Width: 75.0cm
Item Height: 78.5cm
Item Depth: 36.0cm