ITEMS LEFT AT THE WALL

Newspaper clipping dedicated to U.S. Army Staff Sergeant (SSG) Monte Rex Busby comprising an obituary entitled, "Busby lived the life he wanted: As a GI" from the, "KILLED IN VIETNAM" section, by news staff writer, "BEN HOGAN". In content, the obituary discusses SSG Busby's childhood obsession with a future military career, his initial completion of a successful tour in Vietnam, his return home and foray into the insurance business, and his return to the military in 1965 when he, "[...] started back up the road that was to win him a half-dozen medals, cer-tificates [sic] of honor, a trophy as the best soldier in his division". The obituary goes on to relate SSG Busby's successful placement, "[...] as a medic with a Green Beret "A" team in Vietnam" and to describe his work tending to local victims of Viet Cong flame thrower attacks prior to his death in a Viet Cong fire attack while, "[...] tending sick at his outpost near Da Nang" on January 11, 1968. The obituary closes with the lines, "Busby died as he would have wanted. / As a soldier." The artifact was left at The Wall by an anonymous donor between November 1982 - November 1984.

NEWSPAPER CLIPPING DEDICATED TO U.S. ARMY STAFF SERGEANT (SSG) MONTE REX BUSBY. THE OBJECT CONSISTS OF A CLIPPING OF A LOCAL NEWSPAPER OBITUARY FOR SSG BUSBY ENTITLED, "BUSBY LIVED THE LIFE HE WANTED: AS A GI", FROM THE, "KILLED IN VIETNAM" SECTION, BY NEWS STAFF WRITER, "BEN HOGAN". THE ARTICLE IS PRINTED IN BLACK INK AND BLOCK SCRIPT/ARABIC NUMERALS UPON A RECTANGULARLY SHAPED SHEET OF WHITE NEWSPRINT IRREGULARLY CUT BY HAND FROM THE FULL NEWSPAPER SHEET, AND BEARS A BLACK & WHITE PHOTOGRAPHIC REPRODUCTION (PORTRAIT ORIENTATION) AT THE UPPER, CENTER AREA OF OF THE OBVERSE OBJECT SURFACE COMPRISING A FORMAL MILITARY PORTRAIT OF SSG BUSBY IN HIS MILITARY ISSUE, CLASS A ARMY GREEN SERVICE UNIFORM AND GREEN BERET. IN CONTENT, THE OBITUARY DISCUSSES SSG BUSBY'S CHILDHOOD OBSESSION WITH A FUTURE MILITARY CAREER AND HIS ADOLESCENT PENCHANT, "[...] FOR DIVIDING UP FORCES AND PLAYING SOLDIER". THE OBITUARY DISCUSSES SSG BUSBY'S INITIAL COMPLETION OF A SUCCESSFUL TOUR IN VIETNAM, HIS RETURN HOME AND FORAY INTO THE INSURANCE BUSINESS, AND HIS RETURN TO THE MILITARY IN 1965 WHEN HE, "[...] STARTED BACK UP THE ROAD THAT WAS TO WIN HIM A HALF-DOZEN MEDALS, CER-TIFICATES [sic] OF HONOR, A TROPHY AS THE BEST SOLDIER IN HIS DIVISION". THE OBITUARY GOES ON TO RELATE SSG BUSBY'S SUCCESSFUL PLACEMENT, "[...] AS A MEDIC WITH A GREEN BERET "A" TEAM IN VIETNAM", HIS REFUSAL TO ACCEPT AN OPPORTUNITY TO RETURN STATESIDE TO COMPLETE A MEDICAL DEGREE PROGRAM, AND HIS WORK TENDING TO LOCAL VICTIMS OF VIET CONG FLAME THROWER ATTACKS IN WAR-TORN AREAS. THE ARTICLE CONCLUDES BY LISTING THOSE MEMBERS OF SSG BUSBY'S FAMILY SURVIVING HIM AND BY DESCRIBING HIS DEATH IN VIETNAM WHILE, "[...] TENDING SICK AT HIS OUTPOST NEAR DA NANG" THUSLY, "SUDDENLY HE HEARD SHOUTS AND SHOOTING. / LOOKING UP HE WAS TO SEE ANOTHER FIRE ATTACK BEGUN BY THE VIET CONG. / IT WAS HIS LAST. / BUSBY DIED AS HE WOULD HAVE WANTED. / AS A SOLDIER." A SECOND (2ND) PHOTOCOPIED ARTICLE AT THE LOWER, CENTER EDGE OF THE OBVERSE OBJECT SURFACE OF THE CLIPPING ENTITLED, "S-SGT. BUSBY, VIET VETERAN, RITES SUNDAY" DESCRIBES SSG BUSBY AS, "A NA-TIVE [sic] OF BIRMINGHAM", LISTS HIS SURVIVING FAMILY MEMBERS, AND NOTES MEMORIAL SERVICES TO BE HELD FOR SSG BUSBY ON, "[...] SUNDAY AT 3 P.M. AT ROEBUCK CHAPEL, WITH BURIAL IN ELMWOOD".

Text of the printed inscriptions upon the obverse object surface is transcribed in full, as follows: "KILLED IN VIETNAM / Busby lived the life he wanted: As a GI / BY BEN HOGAN / News staff writer / When his East Lake pals wanted to organize a baseball game, they usually had to overcome Monte Rex Busby. / Monte would be for dividing up forces and playing soldier. / On Boy Scout hikes, the others would march ahead, searching for leaves, or listen-ing [sic] for wildlife. / Monte Busby would be listening for the "enemy" advancing up the other side of the hill. / Even during his high school days at Woodlawn, the slend-er [sic] 6-oot [sic], 2-inch blonde had one shoe in the uniform. / Every chance he got he would beg another medal or boot or canteen from his ex-Marine uncle. / When graduation came, he got his dream. / Over his moth-er's [sic] objection, Monte Busby joined the Army. / THREE YEARS later, Monte's tour was over. / He came home, to the relief of his mother, and started into the insurance business. / But he was not happy. / Monte Busby had lived his life to be a soldier. / In 1965, Monte started back up the road that was to win him a half-dozen medals, cer-tificates [sic] of honor, a trophy as the best soldier in his division. / Most important, he earned a place as a medic with a Green Beret "A" team in Vietnam. / For the next two years, S.Sgt. Monte Busby doctored native babies, patched bullet wounds, sutured cuts, bathed burns. / His reputation grew. / He turned down a chance to study for a stateside medical degree. / ONE DAY last month, Sgt. Busby had to treat some of the worst cases he had ever seen. / They were native tribes-men [sic], occupants of a village that had been attacked with flame-throwers by Viet Cong, the most pitiful victims he had ever nursed. / Fire must be the worst way to die, said Monte Busby when he came home on leave a few weeks ago. / The most agonizing, despicable way to die. / Busby was back in Vietnam last Thursday, tending sick at his outpost near Da Nang. / He may have been thinking of his family: his mother, Mrs. Virginia McCullough in Birmingham; his daughter, Tavia, in Miami; his brother, Bill, in Huntsville; another brother, Mike, in Florence; and his father, Bill Sr., in Houston. / SUDDENLY he heard shouts and shooting. / Looking up he was to see another fire attack begun by the Viet Cong. / It was his last. / Busby died as he would have wanted. / As a soldier. / S-Sgt. Busby, Viet Veteran, Rites Sunday / Funeral for S-Sgt. Monte R. Busby 25. 8536 Third-av, n, who died Jan. 11 in Vietnam, will be Sunday at 3 p.m. at Roebuck Chapel, with burial in Elmwood. / Sergeant Busby was a na-tive [sic] of Birmingham. / Survivors include a daugh-ter [sic], Tavia Kimberly Busby, Miami; mother, Mrs. Virginia McCullough, Birmingham; father, W.M. Busby, Houston, Texas; two brothers, Marshall Busby, Huntsville, and Michael L. Busby, Florence; and grandparents, Mrs. C.L. White and Mrs. G.M. Busby both of Birmingham."

Item Weight: 2.6g
Item Length: 24.6cm
Item Width: 13.2cm