ITEMS LEFT AT THE WALL

Military issue, Bronze Star Medal award citation letter dedicated to U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal (LCpl) Edward Lee Johnson. In content, the letter is pursuant to posthumous issuance of the Bronze Star Medal to LCpl Johnson for an action in which he defended, "United States Navy Military Provincial Hospital Assistance Program Team N-2 Compound, Hoi An, Quang Nam Province, Republic of Vietnam" on, "27 August 1967". An excerpt from the citation reads, "From his exposed position on the roof, inspite [sic] of intense mortar and small arms fire, Lance Corporal JOHNSON con-tinued [sic] to deliver a high volume of fire against the attacking force until he was hit by small arms fire. / Although wounded and suffering intense pain, obviating his continued manning of the machine gun, he refused to abandon his position and continued to assist in the defense of his position by un-packaging [sic] grenades and passing them to the other defenders of the position until killed by an enemy grenade which landed within his position." The artifact was left at The Wall by an anonymous donor between July - October 2010.

MILITARY ISSUE, BRONZE STAR MEDAL AWARD CITATION DEDICATED TO U.S. MARINE CORPS LANCE CORPORAL (LCPL) EDWARD LEE JOHNSON. THE OBJECT CONSISTS OF AN OFFICIAL LETTER CERTIFYING AWARD OF THE BRONZE STAR MEDAL PRINTED IN BLACK INK AND BLOCK SCRIPT/ARABIC NUMERALS UPON A RECTANGULARLY SHAPED SHEET OF WHITE, UNLINED PAPER. THE CITATION IS HEADED, "COMMANDER IN CHIEF / UNITED STATES PACIFIC FLEET", STATES THAT, "THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TAKES PRIDE IN PRESENTING THE BRONZE STAR MEDAL POSTHUMOUSLY TO / LANCE CORPORAL EDWARD L. JOHNSON / UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS", AND IS SIGNED BY, "JOHN J. HYLAND / ADMIRAL, U. S. NAVY / COMMANDER IN CHIEF U. S. PACIFIC FLEET". IN CONTENT, THE CITATION IS PURSUANT TO POSTHUMOUS ISSUANCE OF THE BRONZE STAR MEDAL TO LCPL JOHNSON FOR AN ACTION IN WHICH HE DEFENDED, "[...] UNITED STATES NAVY MILITARY PROVINCIAL HOSPITAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM TEAM N-2 COMPOUND, HOI AN, QUANG NAM PROVINCE, REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM", ON, "27 AUGUST 1967". THE TEXT OF THE CITATION NOTES THAT, "[...] INSPITE [sic] OF INTENSE MORTAR AND SMALL ARMS FIRE, LANCE CORPORAL JOHNSON CON-TINUED [sic] TO DELIVER A HIGH VOLUME OF FIRE AGAINST THE ATTACKING FORCE UNTIL HE WAS HIT BY SMALL ARMS FIRE" AND THAT, "ALTHOUGH WOUNDED AND SUFFERING INTENSE PAIN, OBVIATING HIS CONTINUED MANNING OF THE MACHINE GUN, HE REFUSED TO ABANDON HIS POSITION AND CONTINUED TO ASSIST IN THE DEFENSE OF HIS POSITION". THE CITATION GOES ON TO STATE THAT, "AS THE RESULT OF HIS RESOLUTION, DETERMINATION AND FORTITUDE LANCE CORPORAL JOHNSON EFFECTIVELY SURPRESSED [sic] MUCH OF THE INSURGENT FIRE DIRECTED AT THIS POSITION, MATERIALLY CONTRIBUTED TO CONTAINING THE PENETRATION OF THE MILPHAP COMPOUND AND ASSISTED IN THE ELIMINATION OF THE ENEMY FORCES THEREIN", AND CLOSES WITH THE COMMENDATION THAT, "LANCE CORPORAL JOHNSON'S COURAGEOUS ACTIONS WERE IN KEEPING WITH THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE UNITED STATES NAVAL SERVICE."

Text of the printed inscriptions upon the obverse object surface is transcribed in full, as follows: "COMMANDER IN CHIEF / UNITED STATES PACIFIC FLEET / The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Bronze Star Medal posthumously to / Lance Corporal Edward L. JOHNSON / United States Marine Corps / for service as set forth in the following: / CITATION / "For meritorious achievement in connection with operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force as a machine gunner during the defense of United States Navy Military Provincial Hospital Assistance Program Team N-2 Compound, Hoi An, Quang Nam Province, Republic of Vietnam on 27 August 1967. / Although subjected to intense mortar fire, Lance Corporal JOHNSON resolutely remained at his post, a machine gun position on a roof within the defensive perimeter. / The enemy, having succeeded in penetrating the city defenses, launched an attack on the MILPHAP Team Compound. / From his exposed position on the roof, inspite [sic] of intense mortar and small arms fire, Lance Corporal JOHNSON con-tinued [sic] to deliver a high volume of fire against the attacking force until he was hit by small arms fire. / Although wounded and suffering intense pain, obviating his continued manning of the machine gun, he refused to abandon his position and continued to assist in the defense of his position by un-packaging [sic] grenades and passing them to the other defenders of the position until killed by an enemy grenade which landed within his position. / As the result of his resolution, determination and fortitude Lance Corporal JOHNSON effectively surpressed [sic] much of the insurgent fire directed at this position, materially contributed to containing the penetration of the MILPHAP Compound and assisted in the elimination of the enemy force therein. / Lance Corporal JOHNSON's courageous actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service." / The Combat "V" is authorized. / For the President / John J. Hyland [handwritten signature] / JOHN J. HYLAND / Admiral, U. S. Navy / Commander in Chief U. S. Pacific Fleet"

Item Weight: 4.6g
Item Length: 28.0cm
Item Width: 21.5cm