ITEMS LEFT AT THE WALL

Artifact assemblage dedicated to U.S. Army Private First Class (PFC) George Larry Cruse, U.S. Army Specialist 4 (SP4) Johnny Miller, U.S. Army Corporal (CPL) Thomas Johnson Bradford, U.S. Army First Lieutenant (1LT) Edward F. Guthrie, U.S. Army Second Lieutenant (2LT) William B. Kimball, U.S. Army Sergeant (SGT) Paul Leonard Yost, U.S. Army Staff Sergeant (SSG) Edgar Godbey, U.S. Army Sergeant First Class (SFC) William Roger Brooks, & U.S. Army Private First Class (PFC) Charles Edward Sissel and consisting of: a Vietnam Veterans Memorial (VVM) name rubbing, a black & white photographic print, and a two (2) page handwritten note. The handwritten note concludes with the passage, "Im [sic] sitting here at the Vietnam Veterans memorial in Wash. D.C. writing this - / What can I say - / Nothing that hasn't been said before - / Except maybe Goodby [sic] and may you rest in peace - / the rest of the world sure hasn't - / I loved you guys then / I love you now". The artifact assemblage was left at Panel 54E of The Wall by former U.S. Army Sergeant (SGT) and Vietnam veteran Jimmie L. Coutthaul [?] on June 16, 1987.

ASSEMBLAGE DEDICATED TO U.S. ARMY PRIVATE FIRST CLASS (PFC) GEORGE LARRY CRUSE, U.S. ARMY SPECIALIST 4 (SP4) JOHNNY MILLER, U.S. ARMY CORPORAL (CPL) THOMAS JOHNSON BRADFORD, U.S. ARMY FIRST LIEUTENANT (1LT) EDWARD F. GUTHRIE, U.S. ARMY SECOND LIEUTENANT (2LT) WILLIAM B. KIMBALL, JR., U.S. ARMY SERGEANT (SGT) PAUL LEONARD YOST, U.S. ARMY STAFF SERGEANT (SSG) EDGAR GODBEY, U.S. ARMY SERGEANT FIRST CLASS (SFC) WILLIAM ROGER BROOKS, & U.S. ARMY PRIVATE FIRST CLASS (PFC) CHARLES EDWARD SISSEL AND CONSISTING OF: COMPONENT (A) VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL (VVM) NAME RUBBING, COMPONENT (B) BLACK & WHITE PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT, COMPONENT (C) HANDWRITTEN NOTE, AND COMPONENT (D) HANDWRITTEN NOTE. COMPONENT (A) VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL (VVM) NAME RUBBING FOR U.S. ARMY PRIVATE FIRST CLASS (PFC) GEORGE LARRY CRUSE & U.S. ARMY SPECIALIST 4 (SP4) JOHNNY MILLER. THE OBJECT CONSISTS OF A RUBBED IMPRESSION OF THE VVM WALL HONOREE NAMES, "GEORGE L CRUSE" AND "JOHNNY MILLER" EXECUTED IN GOLD CRAYON AND BLOCK SCRIPT UPON THE UPPER AND LOWER EDGES, RESPECTIVELY, OF THE OBVERSE OBJECT SURFACE OF A VVM WALL RUBBING SHEET. THE WALL RUBBING SHEET CONSISTS OF A RECTANGULARLY SHAPED SHEET OF WHITE, UNLINED PAPER WITH A RECTANGULARLY SHAPED, BLACK PRINTED BORDER AND THE DATES OF AMERICAN INVOLVEMENT IN THE VIETNAM WAR, "1959" AND, "1975" PRINTED IN BLACK INK AND ARABIC NUMERALS WITH AN ACCOMPANYING QUOTATION FOR EACH PRINTED IN BLACK INK AND BLOCK SCRIPT/ARABIC NUMERALS AT THE UPPER, PROPER LEFT-HAND AND LOWER, PROPER RIGHT-HAND CORNERS OF THE OBVERSE OBJECT SURFACE, RESPECTIVELY. ALONG THE LOWER EDGE OF THE OBVERSE OBJECT SURFACE ARE TWO (2) FIELDS PRE-PRINTED IN BLACK INK AND BLOCK SCRIPT FOR, "PANEL #______" AND "LINE #______", RESPECTIVELY. A NOTE HANDWRITTEN IN BLUE INK AND CURSIVE SCRIPT/ARABIC NUMERALS UPON THE OBVERSE OBJECT SURFACE OF THE NAME RUBBING READS, "2 MAY 1968 PFC GEORGE CRUSE LEAPED UP AFTER THE FIRST BURST OF MACHINEGUN [sic] FIRE, SAYING "THEY GOT JOHNNY" - THAT WAS THE BRAVEST THING I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. / GEORGE RUSHING IN TO GET JOHNNY - IT DIDN'T WORK. / NHA HA REPUBLIC OF SO. VIETNAM / AMERICAL DIVISION - 3RD PLT CO. C 3/BN 21ST INFANTRY 196TH LIGHT INFANTRY BDGE". COMPONENT (B) BLACK & WHITE PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT. THE OBJECT CONSISTS OF A BLACK & WHITE PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT (LANDSCAPE ORIENTATION) UPON A RECTANGULARLY SHAPED SHEET OF WHITE, GLOSSY PHOTO PAPER. THE IMAGE AT THE OBVERSE OBJECT SURFACE OF THE PRINT IS AN 'IN-COUNTRY' IMAGE CAPTURED IN VIETNAM WHICH DEPICTS A UNIT OF NINE (9) AMERICAN SERVICEMEN DRESSED IN MILITARY ISSUE FIELD ATTIRE (I.E. OG-107 TROPICAL COMBAT COATS & TROUSERS, M1 COMBAT HELMETS, OG-107 TROPICAL COMBAT HATS, ALSO REFERRED TO AS, "BOONIE" HATS, COMBAT BOOTS, ETC.) AND POSED SEATED AND STANDING (FIVE (5) SEATED IN A ROW NEAREST TO THE CAMERA WITH FOUR (4) KNEELING OR STANDING IN TWO (2) ROWS BEHIND) IN A HEAVILY VEGETATED FIELD WITH A SINGLE LEAFY TREE AND LOW HILLS IN THE DISTANT BACKGROUND. A NOTE HANDWRITTEN IN BLUE INK AND CURSIVE SCRIPT/ARABIC NUMERALS UPON THE LOWER EDGE OF THE OBVERSE OBJECT SURFACE OF THE PRINT IDENTIFIES THE MILITARY UNIT OF THE SERVICEMEN PICTURED AND READS, "3RD SQUAD / 3RD PLT / CO. C / 3RD BN 21ST INFANTRY 196TH LIGHT INFANTRY BDG. AMERICAL DIVISION". COMPONENT (C) HANDWRITTEN NOTE. THE OBJECT CONSISTS OF PAGE ONE (1) OF A NOTE HANDWRITTEN IN BLUE INK AND CURSIVE/BLOCK SCRIPT & ARABIC NUMERALS UPON THE OBVERSE AND REVERSE OBJECT SURFACES OF A RECTANGULARLY SHAPED SHEET OF BLUE, UNLINED PAPER. THIS PAGE OF THE NOTE SPECIFIES THE MILITARY UNIT OF THE AUTHOR/DONOR, "CO C 3 BN 21ST INFANTRY (3RD PLT) / 196TH LIGHT INFANTRY BDG. AMERICAL DIVISION", IS ADDRESSED, "TO: PFC. GEORGE CRUIZ [sic] - LIBERAL KANSAS / 54E - 4 / WHO DIED TRYING TO SAVE THE LIFE OF / SP4 JOHNNY MILLER / 54E - 12 / IN THE BATTLE AT NHA HA JUST ABOVE DONG HA JUST BELOW THE DMZ ON 2/MAY/68 -", IS DATED, "6/16/87", AND PROCEEDS TO LIST NUMEROUS OTHER MEMBERS OF THE AUTHOR/DONOR'S MILITARY UNIT IN VIETNAM WHILE NOTING THEIR VVM WALL LOCATION INFORMATION AND DESCRIBING THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THEIR DEATHS IN COMBAT. COMPONENT (D) HANDWRITTEN NOTE. THE OBJECT CONSISTS OF PAGE TWO (2) OF A NOTE HANDWRITTEN IN BLUE INK AND CURSIVE/BLOCK SCRIPT & ARABIC NUMERALS UPON THE OBVERSE OBJECT SURFACE OF A RECTANGULARLY SHAPED SHEET OF BLUE, UNLINED PAPER. THIS PAGE OF THE NOTE IDENTIFIES THE AUTHOR/DONOR AS, "[...] SGT. JIMMIE L. COUTTHAUL [?] / 3RD PLT. CO. C. 3/21 INF. 196TH LIGHT INFANTRY BDGE / RA 17621721", COMPLETES THE LIST OF OTHER MEMBERS OF THE AUTHOR/DONOR'S MILITARY UNIT IN VIETNAM (INCLUDING THEIR VVM WALL LOCATION INFORMATION AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THEIR DEATHS IN COMBAT) BEGUN UPON PAGE ONE (1) (COMPONENT (C)), AND CONCLUDES WITH THE PASSAGE, "IM [sic] SITTING HERE AT THE VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL IN WASH. D.C. WRITING THIS - WHAT CAN I SAY - / NOTHING THAT HASN'T BEEN SAID BEFORE - / EXCEPT MAYBE GOODBY [sic] AND MAY YOU REST IN PEACE - / THE REST OF THE WORLD SURE HASN'T - / I LOVED YOU GUYS THEN / I LOVE YOU NOW".

Text of the printed, rubbed, & handwritten inscriptions upon the various object surfaces of COMPONENTS (A - D) is transcribed in full, as follows: [COMPONENT (A), obverse object surface, upper, proper left-hand corner, printed inscription] "1959 / IN HONOR OF THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES WHO SERVED IN THE VIETNAM WAR, THE NAMES OF THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES AND OF THOSE WHO REMAIN MISSING ARE INSCRIBED IN THE ORDER THEY WERE TAKEN FROM US." / [COMPONENT (A), obverse object surface, lower, proper right-hand corner, printed inscription] "1975 / OUR NATION HONORS THE COURAGE, SACRIFICE AND DEVOTION TO DUTY AND COUNTRY OF ITS VIETNAM VETERANS. / THIS MEMORIAL WAS BUILT WITH PRIVATE CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. / NOVEMBER 11, 1982" / [COMPONENT (A), obverse object surface, lower edge, printed inscriptions] "Panel #______ / Line #______" / [COMPONENT (A), obverse object surface, upper & lower edges, rubbed inscriptions] "GEORGE L CRUSE / JOHNNY MILLER" / [COMPONENT (A), obverse object surface, handwritten inscription] "2 May 1968 PFC George Cruse leaped up after the first burst of machinegun [sic] fire, saying "they got Johnny" - That was the bravest thing I've ever seen in my entire life. / George rushing in to get Johnny - It didn't work. / Nha Ha Republic of So. Vietnam / Americal Division - 3rd Plt Co. C. 3/Bn 21st Infantry 196th Light Infantry Bdge" / [COMPONENT (B), obverse object surface, handwritten inscription] "3rd Squad / 3rd Plt / Co. C / 3rd Bn 21st Infantry 196th Light Infantry Bdg. Americal Division" / [COMPONENT (C), obverse object surface, handwritten inscriptions] "6/16/87 / Co C 3bn 21st INFANTRY (3rd Plt) 196th Light Infantry Bdg. Americal Division / TO: / PFC. George Cruiz [sic] - Liberal Kansas / 54E - 4 / Who died trying to save the life of / SP4 Johnny Miller / 54E - 12 / In the Battle at Nha Ha just above Dong Ha just below the DMZ on 2/May/68 - / George a white man died trying to save John a black man. / What more can be said - / We lost a lot more that day too - / Tom Bradford to a sniper after the main battle was over / 54E - 2 / Such a stupid mistake on Sgt Lanes [sic] orders - / Lt. Guthrie / 54E - 9 / Only in the field a week or two / I sure remember his last words - / Lt. Kimbal [sic] from A Co. on 6 May - / Lt. Mussers friend - died w/a new haircut" / [COMPONENT (C), reverse object surface, handwritten inscriptions] "SFC Wright New man in the Co. / Paul Yost Sgt. / 2/May 68 / 54E - 22 / I thought you had lived from your words but I see you didn't - / Billy Golins - Died working with the Arvns ARVNS - / 41E - 38 / Sure pissed us off at them / Sgt Ed. Godbey - / You, I found a picture of going into a tunnel at the Navy Lab Still Photo shop yesterday - you and Johnny Edmunson - / It was my fault you got wounded with Doc. Brassfield - Leon - and Willie Green. / then you go and get killed later on - what a chance - / SFC Brooks - / 54E - 31 / a great first Sgt in the field - / great troops - / - sniper got him -" / [COMPONENT (D), obverse object surface, handwritten inscriptions] "Charlie Sissel - / 4E - 46 / you are the first man to die in R. S. Vietnam - not the last - / We grew up in the same church - / My name is Sgt. Jimmie L. Coutthaul [sic] / 3rd Plt. Co. C. 3/21 INF. 196th Light Infantry Bdge / RA 17621721 / Im [sic] sitting here at the Vietnam Veterans memorial in Wash. D.C. writing this - / What can I say - / Nothing that hasn't been said before - / Except maybe Goodby [sic] and may you rest in peace - / the rest of the world sure hasn't - / I loved you guys then / I love you now"

Item Weight: 2.3g (Weight of COMPONENT (A) only)
Item Length: 10.9cm
Item Width: 27.9cm