ITEMS LEFT AT THE WALL

Printed report dedicated to U.S. Army Private First Class (PFC) Edward August Schultz. The two (2) page report is entitled, "Last Chance" and was written by student Lindsey Higgins on October 16, 1996 for a, "Period 6" class. The report describes the close childhood relationship between "Lynne" and "Eddy" [PFC Schultz], focusing in particular upon an incident in which PFC Schultz saved Lynne's life by rescuing her during a fall down an embankment. The report contrasts this act of heroism with Lynne's later refusal to attend PFC Schultz's goodbye dinner prior to his departure for service in Vietnam, preferring instead to go on a date. The report concludes with the mournful lines, "She can't go to that dinner now, she can't give him that kiss now [...] She lost him to a war, forever. / She couldn't save his life, as he had saved hers." The artifact was left at The Wall by student Lindsey Higgins in November 1996.

PRINTED REPORT DEDICATED TO U.S. ARMY PRIVATE FIRST CLASS (PFC) EDWARD AUGUST SCHULTZ. THE OBJECT CONSISTS OF A TWO (2) PAGE PRINTED REPORT ENTITLED, "LAST CHANCE" WRITTEN BY STUDENT, "LINDSEY HIGGINS" ON "OCTOBER 16, 1996" FOR A, "PERIOD 6" CLASS. THE REPORT IS PRINTED IN BLACK INK AND BLOCK SCRIPT/ARABIC NUMERALS UPON TWO (2) RECTANGULARLY SHAPED SHEETS OF WHITE, UNLINED PAPER WHICH ARE AFFIXED TO ONE ANOTHER VIA A SINGLE METAL STAPLE AT THE UPPER, PROPER RIGHT-HAND CORNER OF EACH PAGE. THE NAME "EDWARD AUGUST SHULTZ [sic]" IS HANDWRITTEN IN BLACK INK AND BLOCK SCRIPT IMMEDIATELY ABOVE THE REPORT TITLE AT THE UPPER, CENTER EDGE OF THE OBVERSE SURFACE OF PAGE ONE (1). THE NOTATION "+10" (PRESUMABLY A GRADE FOR THE WORK [?]) IS ALSO HANDWRITTEN IN RED INK AND BLOCK SCRIPT/ARABIC NUMERALS AT THE UPPER, PROPER RIGHT-HAND CORNER OF THE OBVERSE SURFACE OF PAGE ONE (1). ADDITIONALLY, A WORD CORRECTION COMPLETED WITH WHITE OUT CORRECTION FLUID AND HANDWRITTEN IN BLACK INK AND BLOCK SCRIPT WITHIN THE FIRST (1ST) LINE OF PAGE ONE (1) SPECIFIES THE NAME, "LYNNE". IN CONTENT, THE REPORT DESCRIBES THE CHILDHOOD RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN, "LYNNE" AND "EDDY" [PFC SCHULTZ]. PFC SCHULTZ IS PORTRAYED AS LYNNE'S CHILDHOOD HERO, PROTECTOR, AND INSTRUCTOR; SAVING HER FROM INJURY DUE TO A FALL DOWN AN EMBANKMENT, TEACHING HER HOW TO GET THE MOST FROM A BOWL OF ICE CREAM, AND PLAYING KIDS' GAMES WITH HER. THE REPORT GOES ON TO CHARACTERIZE PFC SCHULTZ'S PEACEFUL NATURE AS A YOUNG ADULT AND CONTRASTS THIS WITH HIS DRAFT CALL TO SERVE IN THE MILITARY IN VIETNAM. THE SECOND (2ND) PAGE OF THE REPORT IS DEDICATED TO A RECOUNTING OF PFC SCHULTZ'S GOODBYE DINNER PRIOR TO HIS DEPARTURE FOR VIETNAM, NOTES LYNNE'S REFUSAL TO ATTEND AS A CONSEQUENCE OF A SCHEDULED DATE, AND DESCRIBES THE PAIR'S AWKWARD FINAL MOMENTS TOGETHER WITH THE LINES, "SHE KNEW HE'D BE BACK. / HER MOTHER SUGGESTED THEY KISS GOOD-BYE, BUT THEY BOTH CHUCKLED WITH EMBARRASSMENT." THE REPORT CONCLUDES WITH THE MOURNFUL ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT, "SHE CAN'T GO TO THAT DINNER NOW, SHE CAN'T GIVE HIM THAT KISS NOW" AND EXPRESSES THE REGRET THAT, "SHE LOST HIM TO A WAR, FOREVER. / SHE COULDN'T SAVE HIS LIFE, AS HE HAD SAVED HERS."

Text of the printed report and of the handwritten ink notations is transcribed in full, as follows: [Page one (1), obverse object surface, handwritten ink notations] "Edward August Shultz [sic] / 10+ / Lynne" / [Page one (1), obverse object surface, printed inscriptions] "Lindsey Higgins / October 16, 1996 / Period 6 / Last Chance / When Lynne [ink inscription] was four, Eddy was seven and he saved her life. / She was slipping down the embankment and he got down on his stomach and reached for her hand, before she'd gone too far down. / He was her hero. / He taught her how to get the most out of ice cream bowls, by rinsing with just a tad of water and drinking the rest of the ice cream with it. / It looked like dirty water to everyone else. / But to her, it was brilliant. / She counted his freckles whenever she had the chance and combed his hair whenever he would let her. / When they played with toy cars and plastic cowboys, he's the one who explained that she couldn't use a stick for a car. / He's the one who told her, when they played house, that she couldn't be the Dad because she was a girl. / There he was showing her the ways of the world. / Then one day, they were grown up, almost. / He was twenty-one and she was eighteen. / There was a war going on. / The way of the world was that he was called to fight in the war. / He was a peaceful person. / He was a young man who had horses and cows and was FFA President. / He wanted a tractor, not a rifle. / There was a dinner for him the night before he was to go to the other side of the world, to a war, to a place [...]" / [Page two (2), obverse object surface, printed inscriptions] "[...] where he was afraid to go. / She was eighteen and had a date that night, choosing the date over the good-bye dinner. / So, he came to see her before she left with her date. / There he was, in a pose etched in her mind forever. / His elbow rested on the mantle, his eyes looked at her like he would never see her again. / She was frivolous and had no such similar thoughts. / She knew he'd be back. / Her mother suggested they kiss good-bye, but they both chuckled with embarrassment. / She can't go to that dinner now, she can't give him that kiss now, she can't look again into that face, those eyes ever again. / She lost him to a war, forever. / She couldn't save his life, as he had saved hers."

Item Weight: 9.2g
Item Length: 27.9cm
Item Width: 21.6cm