ITEMS LEFT AT THE WALL

Framed color photographic print dedicated to U.S. Air Force First Lieutenant (1st Lt) Richard Lee Russell, U.S. Air Force Major (Maj) Harry Arlo Amesbury, Jr., U.S. Air Force Captain (Capt) Kurt Frederick Weisman, U.s. Air Force Staff Sergeant (SSgt) Calvin Coolidge Cooke, Jr., U.S. Air Force Technical Sergeant (TSgt) Donald Russell Hoskins, & U.S. Air Force Technical Sergeant (TSgt) Richard Edward Dunn. The photo is an 'in-country' image which depicts 1st Lt Russell posing with comedian/entertainer Bob Hope and bears the handwritten inscription, "To Mrs. Russell / Truly Best / Bob Hope". The picture frame also contains a handwritten note which identifies 1st Lt Russell, specifies his Department of Defense (DoD) casualty designation/location, "Missing in Action, Anloc, South Vietnam", notes his casualty date, "April 26, 1972", lists his fellow crew members, and offers the personal dedication, "Dedicated to the memory of all MIA's and POW's. / You are not forgotten." The artifact was left at The Wall by an anonymous donor between October - November 1987.

FRAMED COLOR PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT DEDICATED TO U.S. AIR FORCE FIRST LIEUTENANT (1ST LT) RICHARD LEE RUSSELL, U.S. AIR FORCE MAJOR (MAJ) HARRY ARLO AMESBURY, JR., U.S. AIR FORCE CAPTAIN (CAPT) KURT FREDERICK WEISMAN, U.S. AIR FORCE STAFF SERGEANT (SSGT) CALVIN COOLIDGE COOKE, JR., U.S. AIR FORCE TECHNICAL SERGEANT (TSGT) DONALD RUSSELL HOSKINS, & U.S. AIR FORCE TECHNICAL SERGEANT (TSGT) RICHARD EDWARD DUNN. THE OBJECT CONSISTS OF COLOR PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT (PORTRAIT ORIENTATION) UPON A RECTANGULARLY SHAPED SHEET OF WHITE PHOTO PAPER. THE IMAGE AT THE OBVERSE OBJECT SURFACE OF THE PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT IS AN 'IN-COUNTRY' IMAGE CAPTURED IN VIETNAM WHICH DEPICTS 1ST LT RUSSELL DRESSED IN AN OD GREEN, MILITARY ISSUE FLIGHT SUIT AND STANDING NEXT TO COMEDIAN/ENTERTAINER BOB HOPE. MR. HOPE IS DRESSED IN A RAIN JACKET, BLUE, BUTTON DOWN CIVILIAN DRESS SHIRT, GRAY SLACKS, BROWN LOAFERS, A MILITARY ISSUE, OD GREEN CAP BEARING AN AFFIXED U.S. ARMY 196TH LIGHT INFANTRY BRIGADE SHOULDER SLEEVE INSIGNIA, AND HOLDS HIS TRADEMARK GOLF CLUB IN HIS LEFT HAND AS THE TWO (2) MEN POSE WITH THEIR ARMS BEHIND EACH OTHER'S BACKS. NUMEROUS OTHER U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL DRESSED IN OD GREEN FIELD ATTIRE ARE PICTURED AT THE BACKGROUND OF THE IMAGE, WHILE THE INSCRIPTION, "TO MRS. RUSSELL / TRULY BEST / BOB HOPE" IS HANDWRITTEN IN BLUE INK AND CURSIVE SCRIPT ALONG THE UPPER EDGE OF THE OBVERSE OBJECT SURFACE OF THE PRINT. THE PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT IS PRESENTLY HOUSED AT THE INTERIOR, PROPER LEFT-HAND SIDE OF A BI-FOLD, HINGED, GOLD COLORED METAL & GLASS PICTURE FRAME WITH BLACK BACKING BOARDS AT THE REVERSE OBJECT SURFACES OF THE TWO (2) SIDES OF THE FRAME. A NOTE PRINTED IN BLACK INK AND BLOCK SCRIPT/ARABIC NUMERALS UPON A RECTANGULARLY SHAPED SHEET OF RED, UNLINED PAPER IS PRESENTLY HOUSED AT THE INTERIOR, PROPER RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF THE BI-FOLD PICTURE FRAME. THE NOTE IDENTIFIES THE SUBJECT OF THE PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT, SPECIFIES HIS DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DoD) CASUALTY DESIGNATION, LOCATION OF DISAPPEARANCE, CASUALTY DATE, & CREW MEMBERS, AND OFFERS A PERSONAL DEDICATION TO THE MEMORY OF ALL AMERICAN POW*MIAs. THE NOTE READS, "CAPTAIN RICHARD LEE "RICK" RUSSELL / MISSING IN ACTION, ANLOC, SOUTH VIETNAM / APRIL 26, 1972 / 345TH TACTICAL AIRLIFT SQUADRON, APO SAN FRANCISCO / NATIGATOR [sic] - C-130 STATIONED OUT OF CHING CHUAN KANG AIR FORCE BASE, TAIWAN / CREW MEMBERS: / MAJOR HARRY AMESBURY, JR. - PILOT - MISSING / 1ST LT. KURT WEISMAN - CO-PILOT / REMAINS RETURNED 1975 / CAPT. RICHARD LEE RUSSELL - NAVIGATOR - MISSING / SSGT. CALVIN COOKE, JR. - MISSING / TSGT. DONALD HOSKINS - MISSING / TSGT. RICHARD DUNN - MISSING / DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF ALL MIA'S AND POW'S. / YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN."

Text of the printed & handwritten inscriptions upon the interior object surfaces is transcribed in full, as follows: [Interior, proper right-hand object surface, printed inscriptions] "CAPTAIN RICHARD LEE "RICK" RUSSELL / Missing in Action, Anloc, South Vietnam / April 26, 1972 / 345th Tactical Airlift Squadron, APO San Francisco / Natigator [sic] - C-130 Stationed out of Ching Chuan Kang Air Force Base, Taiwan / Crew members: / Major Harry Amesbury, Jr. - Pilot - Missing / 1st Lt. Kurt Weisman - Co-Pilot / Remains returned 1975 / Capt. Richard Lee Russell - Navigator - Missing / SSgt. Calvin Cooke, Jr. - Missing / TSgt. Donald Hoskins - Missing / TSgt. Richard Dunn - Missing / Dedicated to the memory of all MIA's and POW's. / You are not forgotten." / [Interior, proper left-hand object surface, handwritten inscription] "To Mrs. Russell / Truly Best / Bob Hope"

Item Weight: 400.0g
Item Length: 18.2cm
Item Width: 26.5cm
Item Depth: 1.0cm (Frame depth)