ITEMS LEFT AT THE WALL

Artifact assemblage dedicated to U.S. Marine Corps Second Lieutenant (2ndLt) John Paul Bobo, U.S. Army First Lieutenant (1LT) James Robert Kalsu, U.S. Army Sergeant (SGT) Darrell Edward Burns, U.S. Air Force Captain (Capt) Robert Harvey Pearson, & U.S. Army Warrant Officer 1 (WO1) Darwin Harold Engman and consisting of: a military issue, U.S. Navy service identification tag, also referred to as a "dog tag", for Navy veteran "MANLEY CL", a document assemblage, a Washington Statewide Veterans Memorial Foundation (WSVMF) "Operation We Remember" scrapbook, and a military issue, U.S. Army 9th Infantry Division "The Old Reliable" newspaper. The artifact assemblage was left at Panel 8W of The Wall by participants of the WSVMF "Operation We Remember" visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (VVM) on Memorial Day, May 28, 1990.

ASSEMBLAGE DEDICATED TO U.S. MARINE CORPS SECOND LIEUTENANT (2NDLT) JOHN PAUL BOBO, U.S. ARMY FIRST LIEUTENANT (1LT) JAMES ROBERT KALSU, U.S. ARMY SERGEANT (SGT) DARRELL EDWARD BURNS, U.S. AIR FORCE CAPTAIN (CAPT) ROBERT HARVEY PEARSON, & U.S. ARMY WARRANT OFFICER 1 (WO1) DARWIN HAROLD ENGMAN AND CONSISTING OF: COMPONENT (A) MILITARY ISSUE, U.S. NAVY SERVICE IDENTIFICATION TAG, COMPONENT (B) DOCUMENT ASSEMBLAGE, COMPONENT (C) WASHINGTON STATEWIDE VETERANS MEMORIAL FOUNDATION (WSVMF) "OPERATION WE REMEMBER" SCRAPBOOK, AND COMPONENT (D) MILITARY ISSUE, U.S. ARMY 9TH INFANTRY DIVISION "THE OLD RELIABLE" NEWSPAPER. COMPONENT (A) MILITARY ISSUE, U.S. NAVY SERVICE IDENTIFICATION TAG, ALSO REFERRED TO AS A, "DOG TAG". THE OBJECT CONSISTS OF A RECTANGULARLY SHAPED, SILVER COLORED METAL DISK WITH ROUNDED CORNERS, A CRIMPED EDGE, AND ONE (1) HOLE PUNCHED AT THE CENTER OF THE PROPER LEFT-HAND SIDE OF THE OBVERSE OBJECT SURFACE. MILITARY SERVICE INFORMATION FOR, "MANLEY CL" READING, "B330548 USN OP / CATH" IS STAMPED INTO THE OBVERSE OBJECT SURFACE IN RECESSED BLOCK SCRIPT/ARABIC NUMERALS. COMPONENT (B) DOCUMENT ASSEMBLAGE. THE OBJECT CONSISTS OF A PHOTOCOPIED NEWSPAPER CLIPPING & TWO (2) VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL (VVM) NAME RUBBINGS HOUSED INSIDE A CLEAR POLY-PLASTIC AND BLACK VINYL DOCUMENT SLEEVE. THE NEWSPAPER CLIPPING IS PHOTOCOPIED UPON A RECTANGULARLY SHAPED, LETTER-SIZED SHEET OF WHITE, UNLINED PAPER AND IS FACED UPON ONE (1) SIDE OF THE DOCUMENT SLEEVE. THE ARTICLE IS ENTITLED, "VETS KNOW COURAGE IS NO GAME", IS BY AUTHOR, "BOB CURRAN", AND WAS PUBLISHED IN, "THE BUFFALO NEWS", ON, "TUESDAY, MAY 22, 1990". IN CONTENT, THE AUTHOR OF THE ARTICLE DISCUSSES THE MILITARY SERVICE OF U.S. MARINE CORPS SECOND LIEUTENANT (2NDLT) JOHN PAUL BOBO, VIETNAM VETERAN AND AMERICAN PARATROOPER ALFIE LEONE, U.S. ARMY FIRST LIEUTENANT (1LT) JAMES ROBERT KALSU, U.S. MARINE CORPS & WORLD WAR II VETERAN ALFRED JUREK, & U.S. MILITARY VETERAN BILL GRABIARZ, NOTES THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THEIR DEATH OR SEVERE WOUNDING IN COMBAT, AND COMPARES THEIR SACRIFICES TO THE NATION WITH THE LANGUAGE OF HEROISM OFTEN APPLIED TO THE EFFORTS OF PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES PERSEVERING THROUGH ADVERSITY. MR. CURRAN CLOSES HIS ARTICLE WITH THE BITTER REMINDER, "SO ONCE AGAIN I WILL SAY WHAT I HAVE SAID WHEN OTHER MEMORIAL DAYS ROLLED AROUND... / "MAY MY TONGUE CLEAVE TO THE ROOF OF MY MOUTH THE FIRST TIME I USE THE WORD 'COURAGE' WHEN TALK-ING [sic] ABOUT MEN PLAYING AT GAMES THAT LITTLE BOYS CAN PLAY." " A NOTE HANDWRITTEN IN BLACK INK AND BLOCK SCRIPT BY THE AUTHOR UPON THE UPPER EDGE OF THE OBVERSE OBJECT SURFACE OF THE NEWSPAPER CLIPPING READS, "FOR KEITH ROHRING / MAY YOUR DOG TAGS NEVER BE SEPARATED / HANG TOUGH / BOB CURRAN". THE TWO (2) VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL (VVM) NAME RUBBINGS ARE FACED UPON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE DOCUMENT SLEEVE FROM THE NEWSPAPER CLIPPING, ARE EXECUTED UPON VVM WALL RUBBING SHEETS, AND ARE BOTH DEDICATED TO U.S. ARMY FIRST LIEUTENANT (1LT) JAMES ROBERT KALSU. EACH OF THE TWO (2) OBJECTS 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 SURFACES, RESPECTIVELY. THE UPPERMOST OF THE TWO (2) VVM NAME RUBBINGS BEARS A RUBBED IMPRESSION OF THE WALL HONOREE NAME, "JAMES R KALSU" EXECUTED IN GRAPHITE PENCIL AND BLOCK SCRIPT AT THE CENTER OF THE VVM WALL RUBBING SHEET. THE LOWERMOST OF THE TWO (2) VVM NAME RUBBINGS BEARS A NOTE HANDWRITTEN IN BLUE INK AND BLOCK SCRIPT/ARABIC NUMERALS AT THE CENTER OF THE VVM WALL RUBBING SHEET WHICH READS, "JAMES R. (BOB) KALSU: LINE 38 PANEL 8 WEST: APR 13, 45 - JUL 21, 70 / BOB WAS "ROOKIE OF THE YEAR" 1969-70 SEASON WITH THE BUFFALO BILLS FOOTBALL TEAM. / HIS NATIONAL GUARD UNIT WAS ACTIVATED AND HE COULD HAVE USED THE NFL "DRAFT EVASION SYSTEM" TO STAY OUT OF VIETNAM BUT NO; HE WENT AND WAS FELLED BY A SNIPER'S BULLET THE DAY AFTER HIS SON BOBBY WAS BORN. / WE REMEMBER BOB'S COURAGE ON MEMORIAL DAY 1990." COMPONENT (C) WASHINGTON STATEWIDE VETERANS MEMORIAL FOUNDATION (WSVMF) "OPERATION WE REMEMBER" SCRAPBOOK. THE OBJECT CONSISTS OF SEVERAL FLAT FILE, ARCHIVAL ITEMS FROM THE WASHINGTON STATEWIDE VETERANS MEMORIAL FOUNDATION (WSVMF) "OPERATION WE REMEMBER" VISIT TO THE VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL (VVM) DURING THE MEMORIAL DAY 1990 HOLIDAY, HOUSED INSIDE A HARDBACK, THREE (3)-RING PHOTO ALBUM CLAD UPON THE EXTERIOR OBJECT SURFACE IN TEXTURED, BLUE VINYL. THE FLAT FILE ITEMS CONTAINED WITHIN THE SCRAPBOOK/PHOTO ALBUM ARE EACH HOUSED INSIDE CLEAR POLY-PLASTIC/WHITE CARDSTOCK SLEEVES, AND INCLUDE: A PHOTOCOPIED, PRINTED LETTER FROM WSVMF CHAIRMAN JIM PACE UPON WSVMF LETTERHEAD; A LIST OF "OPERATION WE REMEMBER" PARTICIPANTS HANDWRITTEN IN BLUE INK AND BLOCK SCRIPT/ARABIC NUMERALS; A PHOTOCOPIED ARTICLE FROM THE "VETERAN VIEWS" SECTION OF THE JANUARY 1990 VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS OF THE UNITED STATES (VFW) MAGAZINE ENTITLED, "THE WALL" BY AUTHOR, "WILLIAM W. POLLOCK"; TWO (2) POEMS TYPEWRITTEN IN BLACK INK AND BLOCK SCRIPT/ARABIC NUMERALS BY AUTHOR, "HELEN LIDEN", EACH DATED, "1968", AND ENTITLED, "HEARTBREAK" & "A BOY IN NAM", RESPECTIVELY; A VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL (VVM) WALL INFORMATION PRINTOUT & COLOR PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT (LANDSCAPE ORIENTATION) REFERENCING AND DEPICTING U.S. ARMY SERGEANT (SGT) DARRELL EDWARD BURNS; A TWO (2) PAGE POEM HANDWRITTEN IN GRAPHITE PENCIL AND CURSIVE SCRIPT ENTITLED, "A SOJOURN" BY AUTHOR, "RICHARD A. CARMAN / EVERETT, WA."; A TWO (2) PAGE WAR REMINISCENCE PRINTED IN BLACK INK AND BLOCK SCRIPT/ARABIC NUMERALS ENTITLED, "FRAGILE AS A FLOWER" BY, "DERALD R. BUNNELL [...] / MSG, US ARMY SPECIAL FORCES, RET."; A FUNERAL PROGRAM PRINTED IN BLACK INK AND BLOCK SCRIPT/ARABIC NUMERALS FOR U.S. AIR FORCE CAPTAIN (CAPT) ROBERT HARVEY PEARSON; A SHORT, UNTITLED POEM PRINTED IN BLACK INK AND BLOCK SCRIPT WHICH OPENS WITH THE LINE, "DO NOT STAND AT MY GRAVE AND WEEP"; A WALLET-SIZED CARD OFFERING A TONGUE-IN-CHEEK WARNING THAT THE POSSESSOR SUFFERS FROM POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS; A VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL (VVM) WALL INFORMATION PRINTOUT FOR U.S. ARMY WARRANT OFFICER 1 (WO1) DARWIN HAROLD ENGMAN; A POEM PRINTED IN BLACK INK AND BLOCK SCRIPT (AND HOUSED WITHIN A CLEAR POLY-PLASTIC SLEEVE) BY AN UNKNOWN AUTHOR ENTITLED, "FOOTPRINTS"; & A QUOTATION PRINTED IN BLACK INK AND BLOCK SCRIPT UPON A SEGMENT OF NEWSPRINT READING, " 'IT TOOK ME SIX MONTHS IN VIETNAM TO WAKE UP AND TURN ALL THE WORLD WAR II MOVIES OFF IN MY MIND.' " WITH AN INSCRIPTION HANDWRITTEN IN BLACK INK AND BLOCK SCRIPT/ARABIC NUMERALS UPON THE OBVERSE OBJECT SURFACE READING, "SGT ROBERT MEHNER / HHQ CO. 93RD ENGR BN / DONG TAM, S. VIETNAM / 9TH INF DIV. 1969-70". COMPONENT (D) MILITARY ISSUE, U.S. ARMY 9TH INFANTRY DIVISION "THE OLD RELIABLE" NEWSPAPER. THE OBJECT CONSISTS OF PAGES THREE (3) - SIX (6) OF 'THE OLD RELIABLE' NEWSPAPER DATED, "DEC. 6, 1967". THE PAGES ARE PRINTED IN BLACK INK AND BLOCK SCRIPT/ARABIC NUMERALS UPON THE OBVERSE AND REVERSE OBJECT SURFACES OF A LARGER, FOLDED SHEET OF WHITE, UNLINED NEWSPRINT. ARTICLE HEADLINES IN THE NEWSPAPER REFER TO TOPICS SUCH AS: A CONVOY AMBUSH UPON THE 3D-5TH, THE SEIZURE OF WEAPONS CACHES DURING ALLIED OPERATION SANTA FE, THE AMERICAN OCCUPATION OF A HISTORIC FRENCH FORT, & THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH TO VIETNAMESE CHILDREN BY AN AMERICAN CIVIC AFFAIRS OFFICER. ACCORDING TO VIVE CATALOG NOTES PREPARED BY MRCE COLLECTIONS STAFF, THE ARTIFACT ASSEMBLAGE WAS LEFT AT PANEL 8W OF THE VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL (VVM).

Text of the stamped inscription upon the obverse object surface of COMPONENT (A), as well as of the printed, rubbed, & handwritten inscriptions upon the various object surfaces of COMPONENT (B), is transcribed in full, as follows: [COMPONENT (A), obverse object surface, stamped inscription] "MANLEY CL / B330548 USN OP / CATH" / [COMPONENT (B), newspaper clipping, obverse object surface, printed inscriptions] "The Buffalo News / Tuesday, May 22, 1990 / Bob Curran / Vets know courage is no game / On March 30, 1967, Marine Lt. John Bobo's platoon was attacked by a reinforced company of North Vietnamese soldiers. / After a mor-tar [sic] round severed part of his right leg, he refused to be evacuated. / Instead, he insisted on being placed upright so he could direct his men. / He was in that position when he was fatally wounded. / I wonder how the friends of the Medal of Honor winner from Ni-agra [sic] Falls will feel when at some point during the Memorial Day weekend, they hear a sportscaster marvel at the "raw courage" of the pitcher who dared to throw a curveball when the count on the batter was 3 and 2. / Alfie Leone, the former resi-dent [sic] of Tonawanda, did not show up for his first hearing after he applied for United States citizen-ship. [sic] / You see, the paratrooper was too busy serving his adopted country in Vietnam. / I wonder how Alfie's friends will feel when at some point during the Memorial Day weekend they hear a sportscaster becoming emo-tional [sic] about the "sheer guts" of a pro golfer who came from four strokes behind to sink a putt that made him $100,000 richer. / Bob Kalsu, a tackle for the Buf-falo [sic] Bills knew about the sophisti-cated [sic] draft-evasion system that virtually guaranteed professional football players that they would not be forced into active duty dur-ing [sic' the Vietnam War. / And he knew that he would be ridiculed by some who had taken advantage of that system if he didn't. / But in 1969, his distant drum-mer [sic] was playing a tune that would march him into the 101st Air-borne [sic] Division and the battlefields of Vietnam. / And he became the only American pro football player killed in action in Vietnam. / I wonder how Bob Kalsu's wid-ow [sic], Jan, and his children, Bob Jr. and Jill, will feel when at some point during the Memorial Day weekend they hear a sportscaster talk about the courage and dedica-tion [sic] being displayed by a pro bas-ketball [sic] star who is playing on a sore ankle. / Alfred Jurek of Swormville was offered a deferment from service in the armed forces during World War II because he was a farmer. / But he chose to follow a path that led him to the Marine Corps and death on Iwo Jima. / I wonder how Joe Herberger, John Siefert and the other mem-bers [sic] of the Jurek American Legion Post will feel when at some time during the Memorial Day weekend they hear a sportscaster talk about the courage of a baseball manager who defended his players against charges made by an irate team owner. / When Bill Grabiarz of Buffalo saw his commanding officer lying wounded on a street in Manila one day in 1945, he moved quick-ly [sic]. / Throwing himself on top of the officer, he took the fire directed toward the two men. / And died. / I wonder how the members of the Adam Plewacki American Le-gion [sic] Post who tend the Medal of Honor winner's grave will feel when at some point during the Memorial Day weekend they hear a sportscaster talk about the cour-age [sic] of a player with a $1 million salary who is making an "unself-ish [sic] sacrifice" for his team." / So once again I will say what I have said when other Memorial Days rolled around... / "May my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth the first time I use the word 'courage' when talk-ing [sic] about men playing at games that little boys can play." / [COMPONENT (B), newspaper clipping, obverse object surface, handwritten inscription] "For Keith Rohring / May your dog tags never be separated / Hang tough / Bob Curran" / [COMPONENT (B), Vietnam Veterans Memorial (VVM) name rubbings, obverse object surfaces, upper, proper left-hand corners, identical printed inscriptions] "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 (B), Vietnam Veterans Memorial (VVM) name rubbings, obverse object surfaces, lower, proper right-hand corners, identical printed inscriptions] "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 (B), 1LT Kalsu Vietnam Veterans Memorial (VVM) name rubbing #1, obverse object surface, rubbed inscription] "JAMES R KALSU" / [COMPONENT (B), 1LT Kalsu Vietnam Veterans Memorial (VVM) name rubbing #2, obverse object surface, handwritten inscription] "JAMES R. (BOB) KALSU: LINE 38 PANEL 8 WEST: APR 13, 45 - JUL 21, 70 / BOB WAS "ROOKIE OF THE YEAR" 1969-70 SEASON WITH THE BUFFALO BILLS FOOTBALL TEAM. / HIS NATIONAL GUARD UNIT WAS ACTIVATED AND HE COULD HAVE USED THE NFL "DRAFT EVASION SYSTEM" TO STAY OUT OF VIETNAM BUT NO; HE WENT AND WAS FELLED BY A SNIPER'S BULLET THE DAY AFTER HIS SON BOBBY WAS BORN. / WE REMEMBER BOB'S COURAGE ON MEMORIAL DAY 1990." COMPONENTS (C & D) possess numerous object elements which exceed two (2) pages in length, and therefore have been fully photographed and/or scanned in order to permit future transcription.

Item Weight: 4.7g (Weight of COMPONENT (A) only)
Item Length: 2.8cm
Item Width: 5.0cm
Item Depth: 0.1cm (Thickness)