ITEMS LEFT AT THE WALL

One (1) pair military issue, black leather combat boots, also referred to as "McNamara boots", dedicated to U.S. Navy Lieutenant (LT) John Robert Painter, Jr. A handwritten tag affixed to the boots bears LT Painter Jr.'s name, branch of service, and his casualty date, " '71 JUN 18". Additionally, the name of the presumed owner/donor [?] of the boots, "NICHOLS, MARC" is handwritten inside the right boot. The black leather combat boot, or "McNamara boot" after then- U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara, is one (1) of seven (7) basic patterns of boots issued to American military personnel by the U.S. Government during the Vietnam War. The McNamara is the boot that most American personnel deployed to Vietnam with and was the most common footwear in Vietnam throughout 1965 and early 1966. However, as the OG-107 tropical combat boot, or "jungle boot", increased in supply the leather boots were relegated to areas where a nylon boot was not desirable; i.e. rear support areas and to aviation personnel (in order to reduce the risk of injury in the event of a fire). The artifact was left at The Wall by Marc Nichols between November - December 1987. (Source: Moore Militaria- www.mooremilitaria.com/combat-boots.html)

ASSEMBLAGE DEDICATED TO U.S. NAVY LIEUTENANT (LT) JOHN ROBERT PAINTER, JR. AND CONSISTING OF: COMPONENTS (A & B) ONE (1) PAIR (LEFT & RIGHT) MILITARY ISSUE, BLACK LEATHER COMBAT BOOTS, ALSO REFERRED TO AS, "MCNAMARA BOOTS". THE BOOTS ARE A MISMATCHED PAIR, WITH THE LEFT BOOT BEING A SIZE 11 1/2 WHILE THE RIGHT BOOT IS A SIZE 7W. THE BOOTS ARE COMPRISED OF BLACK LEATHER UPPERS AND LOWERS, DIRECT MOLDED RUBBER SOLE WITH RIPPLE TREAD, NON-TRIP BEVELED REINFORCED HEEL, NINE (9) GROMMET LACING, AND BLACK WOVEN FABRIC BOOT LACES. COMPONENTS (A & B) WERE ORIGINALLY AFFIXED TO ONE ANOTHER VIA A LENGTH OF RED NYLON FABRIC RIBBON, AND WHICH AT PRESENT REMAINS ATTACHED ONLY TO THE LEFT BOOT. COMPONENTS (A & B) ARE PRESENTLY CONNECTED VIA THE BOOT LACES. A TAG HANDWRITTEN IN BLACK MARKER AND BLOCK SCRIPT/ARABIC NUMERALS UPON A RECTANGULARLY SHAPED SEGMENT OF CARDSTOCK LAMINATED WITH STRIPS OF CLEAR PACKING TAPE IS AFFIXED TO THE LACES OF THE LEFT BOOT. THE TAG BEARS LT PAINTER JR.'S NAME, BRANCH OF SERVICE, "U.S. NAVY", AND CASUALTY DATE, " '71 JUN 18". ADDITIONALLY, THE NAME OF THE PRESUMED OWNER/DONOR OF THE OBJECT [?], "NICHOLS, MARC" IS HANDWRITTEN IN BLACK MARKER AND BLOCK SCRIPT INSIDE THE NECK OF THE RIGHT BOOT AT THE PROPER LEFT-HAND SIDE (INSTEP). THE BLACK LEATHER COMBAT BOOT, OR "MCNAMARA BOOT" AFTER THEN- U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE ROBERT S. MCNAMARA, IS ONE (1) OF (7) BASIC PATTERNS OF BOOTS ISSUED TO AMERICAN MILITARY PERSONNEL BY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT DURING THE VIETNAM WAR. THE MCNAMARA IS THE BOOT THAT MOST AMERICAN PERSONNEL DEPLOYED TO VIETNAM WITH AND WAS THE MOST COMMON FOOTWEAR IN VIETNAM THROUGHOUT 1965 AND EARLY 1966. HOWEVER, AS THE OG-107 TROPICAL COMBAT BOOT, OR "JUNGLE BOOT", INCREASED IN SUPPLY THE LEATHER BOOTS WERE RELEGATED TO AREAS WHERE A NYLON BOOT WAS NOT DESIRABLE; I.E. REAR SUPPORT AREAS AND TO AVIATION PERSONNEL (IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE RISK OF INJURY IN THE EVENT OF A FIRE). THE EARLY MCNAMARA BOOTS FEATURED A STITCHED, SMOOTH SOLE WITH A DIAMOND TREAD PATTERN NEAR THE BALL OF THE FOOT, WHILE LATER VERSIONS (1967 - ) FEATURED A DIRECT MOLDED VULCANIZED RUBBER SOLE WITH A "RIPPLE" PATTERN TREAD. (SOURCE: MOORE MILITARIA- WWW.MOOREMILITARIA.COM/COMBAT-BOOTS.HTML)

Text of the handwritten inscription at the interior surface of the right boot and of the handwritten tag affixed to the left boot is transcribed in full, as follows: [Object right boot, interior, proper left-hand surface, handwritten inscription] "NICHOLS, MARC" / [Object left boot, affixed tag, obverse object surface, handwritten inscription] "PAINTER, JOHN R. JR" / [Object left boot, affixed tag, reverse object surface, handwritten inscription] "U.S. NAVY '71 JUN 18"

Item Weight: 1500.0g (Collective weight of COMPONENTS (A & B))
Item Length: 31.8cm
Item Width: 10.8cm
Item Height: 24.8cm