ITEMS LEFT AT THE WALL

Black & white photographic print and accompanying newspaper clipping dedicated to U.S. Air Force Colonel (Col) Robert Malcolm Elliot. The photograph depicts Col Elliot posed in his flight suit on an aircraft runway next to his F-105 fighter aircraft. A black & white newspaper clipping accompanying the photograph details Col Elliot's disappearance over North Vietnam during a combat mission in February 1968, the alteration of his status by the U.S. Government in 1979 to reflect his fate as, "Killed in Action", and the funeral services to be held by his surviving family at Fort Meyers in Arlington, Virginia. The artifact was left at The Wall by an anonymous donor between November 1982 - November 1984.

BLACK & WHITE PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT DEDICATED TO U.S. AIR FORCE COLONEL (COL) ROBERT MALCOLM ELLIOT. THE OBJECT CONSISTS OF A BLACK & WHITE PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT (PORTRAIT ORIENTATION) UPON A SHEET OF RECTANGULARLY SHAPED, WHITE PHOTOGRAPHIC PAPER. THE IMAGE AT THE OBVERSE OBJECT SURFACE OF THE PRINT FEATURES COL ELLIOT DRESSED IN A MILITARY ISSUE FLIGHT SUIT, FACING THE CAMERA, AND STANDING ON AN AIRCRAFT RUNWAY WITH HIS F-105 FIGHTER AIRCRAFT AT THE PROPER RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF THE BACKGROUND. THE PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT IS AFFIXED TO A SHEET OF BLACK CONSTRUCTION PAPER AT THE REVERSE OBJECT SURFACE, AND HAS BEEN SEALED INSIDE A CLEAR POLY-PLASTIC, THREE(3)-RING NOTEBOOK PAGE DIVIDER VIA STRIPS OF CLEAR, ADHESIVE SCOTCH TAPE. ALSO HOUSED WITHIN THE DIVIDER (ALONG WITH THE PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT) IS A NEWSPAPER CLIPPING WITH A BLACK & WHITE PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT OF COL ELLIOT (PORTRAIT ORIENTATION) AND A BRIEF ARTICLE DETAILING COL ELLIOT'S DISAPPEARANCE OVER NORTH VIETNAM DURING A COMBAT MISSION IN FEBRUARY 1968, THE ALTERATION OF HIS STATUS BY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT IN 1979 TO REFLECT HIS FATE AS, "KILLED IN ACTION", AND THE SERVICES TO BE HELD BY HIS FAMILY AT FORT MEYERS CHAPEL IN ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, AS WELL AS A SUBSEQUENT INTERNMENT CEREMONY AT ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, PRINTED IN BLACK INK AND BLOCK SCRIPT/ARABIC NUMERALS. ACCORDING TO VIVE CATALOG NOTES PREPARED BY MRCE COLLECTIONS STAFF, THE ORIGINAL CATALOG NUMBER ASSIGNED TO THE OBJECT WAS "X-453".

Text of the newspaper article housed within the notebook divider is transcribed in full, as follows: "Elliot [photograph caption] / Col. Robert M. Elliot / The Hampton family of Air Force Col. Robert M. Elliot will hold a memorial service Friday for the airman, who was lost in Vietnam and listed as missing in action for more than 11 years. / Elliot was flying an F-105 air-craft [sic] on a combat mission over North Vietnam in February 1968 when the plane was hit by a sur-face-to-air [sic] missile. / He was listed as missing until 1979, when the government changed his status to "killed in action". / Elliot is survived by his wife, Billie M. Elliot; one daughter, Julie Ann Elliot; and three sons, Donald C. and Kenneth M. Elliot and Robert M. Elliot Jr. / Friday's ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. at Fort Meyers Chapel in Arlington and will move to El-liot's [sic] headstone at Arlington Na-tional [sic] Cemetary. [sic] / It will conclude at Fort Meyers Officers' Club, where Elliot's medals will be on display."

Item Weight: 29.3g
Item Length: 28.0cm
Item Width: 23.0cm