ITEMS LEFT AT THE WALL

Handwritten note dedicated to U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal (LCpl) Mark Ryan Black. Affixed to a faux red carnation the note is dated, "9-23-86", and reads, "Dearest Mark Black / I miss you and in my respect for you I dedicate my life to peace. / X-Marine, buddy and forever friend. / John Kincaid". The artifact was left at The Wall by U.S. Marine Corps veteran John Kincaid on September 23, 1986.

HANDWRITTEN NOTE DEDICATED TO U.S. MARINE CORPS LANCE CORPORAL (LCPL) MARK RYAN BLACK. THE OBJECT CONSISTS OF A NOTE HANDWRITTEN IN BLACK INK AND CURSIVE SCRIPT/ARABIC NUMERALS UPON THE REVERSE OBJECT SURFACE OF A ROUGHLY TORN, RECTANGULARLY SHAPED SEGMENT OF A RESTAURANT MENU PRINTED UPON WHITE, UNLINED PAPER. AT THE OBVERSE OBJECT SURFACE, FOOD ITEM DESCRIPTIONS & PRICES FOR, "DESSERTS" AND, "BEVERAGES" ARE PRINTED IN BLACK INK AND ITALICIZED, BLOCK SCRIPT/ARABIC NUMERALS IN FOUR (4) SEPARATE COLUMNS. AT THE REVERSE OBJECT SURFACE, THE HANDWRITTEN NOTE IS ADDRESSED, "DEAREST MARK BLACK", IS SIGNED, "JOHN KINCAID", IS DATED, "9-23-86", AND READS, "I MISS YOU AND IN MY RESPECT FOR YOU I DEDICATE MY LIFE TO PEACE. / X-MARINE, BUDDY AND FOREVER FRIEND." THE HANDWRITTEN NOTE IS PRESENTLY AFFIXED TO A FAUX FLOWER, DESIGNED TO REPRESENT A RED CARNATION, WHICH IS COMPRISED OF RED NYLON FABRIC FLOWER PETALS, GREEN NYLON FABRIC LEAVES, AND A GREEN POLY-PLASTIC-COVERED, METAL WIRE STEM. THE DISTAL END OF THE WIRE STEM IS PIERCED THROUGH THE LOWER EDGE OF THE PAPER UPON WHICH THE NOTE IS HANDWRITTEN, AND FASTENED BACK UPON ITSELF. ACCORDING TO VIVE CATALOG NOTES PREPARED BY MRCE COLLECTIONS STAFF, THE NPS RANGER'S LOG ENTRY REFERRING TO THIS ARTIFACT IS RECORDED, AS FOLLOWS: "9/94".

Text of the printed & handwritten inscription upon the obverse and reverse object surfaces of the note is transcribed in full, as follows: [Note, obverse object surface, printed inscriptions] "Fresh Vegetable of Today .85 / Desserts / Hot Southern Pecan Pie 1.70 / Senate Apple Pie 1.10 / Senate Apple Pie a la Mode 1.30 / Ice Cream or Sherbet .95 / Hot Fudge Sundae 1.70 / Chocolate Sundae 1.70 / Fruit Jello .80 / Senate Rum Pie 1.70 / Fresh Fruit in Season 1.70 / Beverages / Brewed Decaffeinated Coffee .45 / Coffee .45 / Hot Tea .45 / Iced Tea or Coffee .45 / Soft Drinks .60 / Milk .45 / Perrier 1.10 / A-1" / [Note, reverse object surface, handwritten inscriptions] "9-23-86 / Dearest Mark Black / I miss you and in my respect for you I dedicate my life to peace. / X-Marine, buddy and forever friend. / John Kincaid"

Item Weight: 16.2g (Collective weight of faux flower & handwritten note)
Item Length: 21.0cm
Item Width: 9.5cm