ITEMS LEFT AT THE WALL

Artifact assemblage dedicated to U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal (LCpl) Paul Anthony Devers and consisting of a "short-timer's" stick, also referred to as a "swagger" stick, and a Zenith brand, Zippo-style cigarette lighter. The short-timer's stick is comprised of a conjoined Remington Arms. 50cal brass shell casing and a component of a 20mm artillery shell, and is an example of "trench art" (i.e. an item produced 'in-field' from readily available materials for either practical or purely aesthetic purposes). The short-timer's, or swagger, stick was carried in Vietnam by a member of a military unit to designate a minimal amount of time remaining on an enlistment/deployment. The stick bears an engraved inscription reading, "HOWIE / DANANG / 67-68", while the accompanying cigarette lighter bears the engraved dedications, "HANOI / HAIPHONG / HUE / DANANG / NHATRANG / SAIGON / VIETNAM [...] IN MEMORY OF / DANANG / 1965 / PAUL DEVIERS". The artifact assemblage was left at The Wall by a Vietnam veteran identified only as, "HOWIE" between May - June 1987.

ASSEMBLAGE DEDICATED TO U.S. MARINE CORPS LANCE CORPORAL (LCPL) PAUL ANTHONY DEVERS AND CONSISTING OF: COMPONENT (A) FIELD EXPEDIENT "SHORT-TIMER'S" STICK AND COMPONENT (B) ZENITH BRAND, ZIPPO-STYLE CIGARETTE LIGHTER. COMPONENT (A) FIELD EXPEDIENT, OR, "TRENCH ART" "SHORT-TIMER'S" STICK, ALSO REFERRED TO AS A, "SWAGGER" STICK. THE OBJECT CONSISTS OF A REMINGTON ARMS .50 CALIBER BRASS SHELL CASING WITH A LENGTH OF FERROUS METAL TUBING BEARING NUMEROUS HOLES DRILLED ALONG ITS LENGTH (ACCORDING TO VIVE CATALOG NOTES PREPARED BY MRCE COLLECTIONS STAFF, A COMPONENT OF A 20MM ARTILLERY SHELL) INSERTED INTO THE OPEN END OF THE BRASS SHELL CASING. THE SHELL CASING BEARS A RECESSED HEADSTAMP IN BLOCK SCRIPT/ARABIC NUMERALS READING, "R A 52", WHILE THE PHRASE, "HOWIE / DA NANG / 67-68" IS ENGRAVED UPON THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF THE CASING IN BLOCK SCRIPT/ARABIC NUMERALS. COMPONENT (B) ZENITH BRAND, ZIPPO-STYLE CIGARETTE LIGHTER. THE OBJECT CONSISTS OF POLISHED ALUMINUM WITH FLAT, RECTANGULAR, CHAMFERED EDGES, A HINGED FLIP-TOP STYLE LID, AND A TEXTURED FLINT WHEEL BUTANE INSERT. AT THE OBVERSE OBJECT SURFACE, THE LIGHTER BEARS AN ENGRAVED REPRESENTATION OF THE NATION OF VIETNAM WITH THE CITY NAMES, "HANOI / HAIPHONG / HUE / DANANG / NHATRANG / SAIGON" ENGRAVED IN BLOCK SCRIPT. ALONG THE LOWER EDGE OF THE OBVERSE OBJECT SURFACE THE PHRASE, "VIETNAM" IS SIMILARLY ENGRAVED IN BLOCK LETTERING. AT THE REVERSE OBJECT SURFACE, THE DEDICATION, "IN MEMORY OF / DANANG / 1965 / PAUL DEVIERS" IS ENGRAVED IN BLOCK SCRIPT/ARABIC NUMERALS. AT THE OBJECT UNDER-SURFACE, THE MANUFACTURER/SUPPLIER'S INFORMATION, "WINDPROOF / ZENITH / FOR PIPE & CIGARETTE" IS ENGRAVED IN BLOCK AND ITALICIZED SCRIPT.

Text of the stamped and engraved inscriptions upon COMPONENTS (A & B) is transcribed in full, as follows: [COMPONENT (A), headstamp] "R A 52" / [COMPONENT (A), engraved inscription] "HOWIE / DANANG / 67-68" / [COMPONENT (B), obverse object surface, engraved inscription] "HANOI / HAIPHONG / HUE / DANANG / NHATRANG / SAIGON / VIETNAM" / [COMPONENT (B), reverse object surface, engraved inscription] "IN MEMORY OF / DANANG / 1965 / PAUL DEVIERS" / [COMPONENT (B), object under-surface, manufacturer/supplier's stamped inscription] "WINDPROOF / ZENITH / FOR PIPE & CIGARETTE"

Item Weight: 125.6g (Weight of COMPONENT (A) only)
Item Length: 24.75cm
Item Depth: 2.0cm (Diameter) / 6.3cm (Circumference)