ITEMS LEFT AT THE WALL

Handwritten letter dedicated to U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) Harvey Chadwick K Aiau. The letter is addressed, "Dear Dad", is signed, "All my love, / Kathleen Marie Aiau", is dated, "March 16, 1990", and opens with the lines, "As you know, it's been twenty years since your death. / Can you believe I'll be thirty next year?" In content, the author of the letter informs LCDR Aiau that she has recovered from his death in Vietnam, updates him on the lives of his family members, and notes about her visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (VVM) that, "What got to me was the reflection of myself. / We were almost one. / Your name = my reflection." The artifact was left at The Wall by Kathleen Marie Aiau on March 16, 1990.

HANDWRITTEN LETTER DEDICATED TO U.S. NAVY LIEUTENANT COMMANDER (LCDR) HARVEY CHADWICK K. AIAU. THE OBJECT CONSISTS OF A LETTER HANDWRITTEN IN BLUE INK AND CURSIVE/BLOCK SCRIPT & ARABIC NUMERALS UPON THE OBVERSE AND REVERSE OBJECT SURFACES OF A RECTANGULARLY SHAPED SHEET OF WHITE, LINED, THREE (3)-HOLE PUNCHED NOTEBOOK PAPER. THE LETTER IS ADDRESSED, "DEAR DAD", IS SIGNED, "ALL MY LOVE, / KATHLEEN MARIE AIAU", IS DATED, "MARCH 16, 1990", AND OPENS WITH THE LINES, "AS YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN TWENTY YEARS SINCE YOUR DEATH. / CAN YOU BELIEVE I'LL BE THIRTY NEXT YEAR?" IN CONTENT, THE AUTHOR OF THE LETTER BEGINS BY TELLING HER FATHER THAT IT HAS TAKEN SOME TIME FOR HER TO SAY GOODBYE, THAT, "THE EMPTINESS AND BITTERNESS IS GONE OR IT DOESN'T RULE MY LIFE", AND NOTES THAT EVERY TIME SHE COMES TO THE WALL SHE MEETS WONDERFUL PEOPLE. SHE THEN PROCEEDS TO DESCRIBE A RECENT MEETING AT THE WALL WITH A VIETNAM VETERAN WHO ATTEMPTED TO COMFORT HER, WHO INQUIRED ABOUT HER FATHER'S SERVICE, AND WHO SUBSEQUENTLY ENGAGED HER IN CONVERSATION ABOUT HIS FRIENDS LISTED ON THE MEMORIAL. THE AUTHOR PROCEEDS TO NOTE THAT, "WHAT GOT TO ME WAS THE REFLECTION OF MYSELF. / WE WERE ALMOST ONE. / YOUR NAME = MY REFLECTION", ACKNOWLEDGES THAT HER FATHER WOULD PROBABLY NOT RECOGNIZE THE NINE (9) YEAR OLD DAUGHTER HE LEFT BEHIND, AND THEN UPDATES LCDR AIAU ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES OF HIS CHILDREN; SPECIFICALLY "MIKE" WHO, "[...] IS FOLLOWING IN YOUR FOOTSTEPS [...] TRAINING TO FLY HELICOPTER'S [sic] FOR THE NAVY." THE AUTHOR BEGINS THE SECOND (2ND) PAGE OF HER LETTER TO HER FATHER BY ACKNOWLEDGING THAT, "ITS [sic] BEEN A BATTLE TO GET OVER YOUR LOSS", ADMITS THAT ALTHOUGH SHE LOVES AND MISSES HIM, "I'VE HATED YOU A LOT TOO", AND YET STILL STATES THAT, "YOU'LL ALWAYS BE MY KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR." THE AUTHOR THEN CONCLUDES HER LETTER WITH AN INITIAL POSTSCRIPT READING, "I WISH I COULD TOUCH YOUR NAME, BUT YOU ARE TO [sic] HIGH", A SECOND (2ND) POSTSCRIPT REMINDING HIM THAT SHE STILL DOES NOT LIKE THE NICKNAME HE GAVE HER, AND A THIRD (3RD) POSTSCRIPT THANKING HER FATHER FOR THE WARM WEATHER AND CHERRY BLOSSOMS AS, "[...] BOSTON HAS BEEN SO COLD!" THE AUTHOR HAS SUBSEQUENTLY HAND-DRAWN A FLOWER BLOSSOM AND A SMILEY FACE AT THE PROPER RIGHT- AND LEFT-HAND SIDES, RESPECTIVELY, OF THE FINAL POSTSCRIPT AT THE LOWER EDGE OF THE REVERSE OBJECT SURFACE OF THE SHEET, BELOW WHICH THE NAME AND MILITARY RANK, "LT. CDMR HARVEY C.K. AIAU" ARE HANDWRITTEN IN BLUE INK AND BLOCK SCRIPT.

Text of the handwritten inscriptions upon the obverse and reverse object surfaces is transcribed in full, as follows: [Obverse object surface, handwritten inscriptions] "March 16, 1990 / Dear Dad, / As you know, it's been twenty years since your death. / Can you believe I'll be thirty next year? / It has taken all this time to say good-by [sic], but I have. / The emptiness and bitterness is gone or it doesn't rule my life. / Each time I come here I meet some really neat people. / On Tuesday, I meet [sic] an ex Marine from Kentucky. / He did training at Camp Pendleton! / He was so sweet. / He asked if I was OK because tears were running down my eyes. / (I wasn't going to cry.) / He wanted to know where you were on the wall, my memories of you, etc. / He then showed me his friends (three people) two of his friends he lost within two days). / Couldn't ask him how. / What got to me was the reflection of myself. / We were almost one. / Your name = my reflection. / Except you would not know me as the 9yr old girl you left. / I'm in graduate school. / Plan to finish in August. / Peter is married and Susan is terrific! / Mike is following in your footsteps. / He's a Navy pilot training to fly helicopter's [sic] for the Navy. / In August I will be a librarian (Film). / I wear your Naval Academy Ring all the time (the one you gave Grandma). / I know you know all about our family and what they've been up to do." [Reverse object surface, handwritten inscriptions] "You should be pleased. / Hey, Navy beat Army this year! / It's been a battle to get over your loss. / Finally, I've done it. / (you were on the news in 70) / I love you and miss you. / Yes, I've hated you a lot too. / You'll always be my knight in shining armor. / You're probably playing golf with Tatudaddy [sic] now aren't you? / Did you know your accident cost over $1 mill at the time / You should see the cross in your name at church. / All my love, / Kathleen Marie Aiau / P.S. I wish I could touch your name, but you are to [sic] high / P.S.S. Still don't like the nickname you gave - really - couldn't it have been princess? / P.S.S.S. Thanks (a thank god for me!) for the warm weather and cherry blossom. / I love both especially since Boston has been so cold! / Lt. CDMR Harvey C.K. Aiau"

Item Weight: 3.5g
Item Length: 27.8cm
Item Width: 21.1cm