ITEMS LEFT AT THE WALL

Lyons VA & NJ PTSD Unit plaque. The artifact consists of a memorial plaque produced by participants in the PTSD Unit programs of the Lyons VA and NJ chapters. The plaque bears numerous affixed military issue and national flag insignia, including: U.S. Army 1st Cavalry Division shoulder sleeve insignia (full color), U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division shoulder sleeve insignia (full color), U.S. Army 9th Infantry Division shoulder sleeve insignia (full color), U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) shoulder sleeve insignia (full color), U.S. Army Republic of Vietnam (USARV) shoulder sleeve insignia (full color), two (2) United States national and one (1) Puerto Rican national flags, and a national POW*MIA fabric patch insignia. The plaque also bears an affixed, untitled, typewritten poem which notes the vast differences amongst allied service personnel in Vietnam, celebrates the ability of this diverse group to face pain, death, and horror while upholding the values of liberty and human freedom, and expresses pride on the part of the author that he did not run away or shirk his duty and can still consider himself a man for the manner in which he comported himself during his service. The artifact was left at The Wall by Specialist 4 (SP4) Johnny Borrel and Specialist 4 (SP4) Rafael Piccart on May 18, 1994.

LYONS PTSD UNIT PLAQUE. THE OBJECT CONSISTS OF AN OVOID SHAPED SEGMENT OF LIGHTLY-STAINED WOOD WITH BEVELED EDGES, TO WHICH A VARIETY OF MILITARY ISSUE, CLOTH PATCH, NON-MILITARY ISSUE, CLOTH PATCH, AND NATIONAL FLAG INSIGNIA HAVE BEEN AFFIXED. ALONG THE UPPER EDGE OF THE PLAQUE, TWO (2) MINIATURE, UNITED STATES NATIONAL, ALSO REFERRED TO AS, "AMERICAN", FLAGS (EACH CONSISTING OF A BLUE NYLON CANTON WITH FIFTY (50) WHITE STARS AND A NYLON FIELD OF THIRTEEN (13) RED AND WHITE HORIZONTAL STRIPES AFFIXED TO A BLACK, POLY-PLASTIC FLAGSTAFF OR POST TOPPED BY A GOLD COLORED, POLY-PLASTIC FINIAL) ARE AFFIXED VIA ADHESIVE GLUE AT THE REVERSE OBJECT SURFACE AT EITHER SIDE OF THE MEDIAN LINE. PROCEEDING IN A CLOCKWISE FASHION AROUND THE OUTER OBJECT CIRCUMFERENCE, AT THE UPPER, PROPER LEFT-HAND CORNER OF THE OBVERSE OBJECT SURFACE A MILITARY ISSUE, LOTH PATCH U.S. ARMY 1ST CAVALRY DIVISION SHOULDER SLEEVE INSIGNIA (FULL COLOR AND CONSISTING OF A YELLOW, NORMAN-STYLE SHIELD OUTLINED WITH BLACK EMBROIDERED THREAD AND BEARING A BLACK, EMBROIDERED STRIPE RUNNING DIAGONALLY FROM THE UPPER, PROPER RIGHT-HAND TO THE LOWER, PROPER LEFT-HAND CORNER, ABOVE WHICH IN THE UPPER, PROPER LEFT-HAND CORNER IS THE SILHOUETTE OF A HORSE'S HEAD FACING PROPER RIGHT AND EMBROIDERED IN BLACK THREAD) IS AFFIXED TO THE PLAQUE VIA SOME FORM OF CHEMICAL GLUE ADHESIVE. AT THE LOWER, PROPER LEFT-HAND CORNER A MILITARY ISSUE, CLOTH PATCH U.S. ARMY 101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION SHOULDER SLEEVE INSIGNIA (FULL COLOR AND CONSISTING OF A BLACK EMBROIDERED SHIELD WITH AN EAGLE'S HEAD FACING PROPER RIGHT AND EMBROIDERED IN WHITE, BLACK, YELLOW, AND RED THREAD, BENEATH AN AFFIXED BLACK EMBROIDERED TAB WITH THE PHRASE, "AIRBORNE" EMBROIDERED IN YELLOW, BLOCK LETTERING) IS AFFIXED TO THE PLAQUE VIA SOME FORM OF CHEMICAL GLUE ADHESIVE. AT THE LOWER, PROPER LEFT-HAND CENTER EDGE A NON-MILITARY ISSUE, MINIATURE PUERTO RICAN NATIONAL FLAG (CONSISTING OF A BLUE NYLON CANTON WITH A SINGLE WHITE STAR AND A NYLON FIELD OF FIVE (5) RED AND WHITE HORIZONTAL STRIPES WITH GOLD NYLON FRINGE AFFIXED TO THE EXTERIOR EDGE AND ATTACHED TO A WHITE, POLY-PLASTIC FLAGSTAFF OR POST TOPPED BY A GOLD-COLORED POLY-PLASTIC FINIAL) IS AFFIXED TO THE PLAQUE VIA SOME FORM OF CHEMICAL GLUE ADHESIVE. AT THE LOWER, CENTER EDGE A NON-MILITARY ISSUE, CLOTH PATCH POW*MIA INSIGNIA (CONSISTING OF A CIRCLE AT THE CENTER EMBROIDERED IN BLACK AND WHITE THREAD AND REPRESENTING THE SILHOUETTE OF A POW*MIA IN FRONT OF BARBED WIRE AND A GUARD TOWER, BENEATH THE PHRASE, "POW*MIA" AND ABOVE THE PHRASE, "YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN" BOTH EMBROIDERED IN WHITE THREAD AND BLOCK SCRIPT) IS AFFIXED TO THE PLAQUE VIA SOME FORM OF CHEMICAL GLUE ADHESIVE. AT THE LOWER, PROPER RIGHT-HAND CENTER EDGE A MILITARY ISSUE, CLOTH PATCH U.S. ARMY 9TH INFANTRY DIVISION SHOULDER SLEEVE INSIGNIA (FULL COLOR AND CONSISTING OF AN OLIVE DRAB DISC CHARGED WITH A DOUBLE QUATREFOIL HORIZONTALLY DIVIDED INTO TWO (2) EQUAL HALVES, RED UPPERMOST AND BLUE LOWERMOST, WITH A CIRCULAR WHITE CENTER) IS AFFIXED TO THE PLAQUE VIA SOME FORM OF CHEMICAL GLUE ADHESIVE. AT THE LOWER, PROPER RIGHT-HAND CORNER A MILITARY ISSUE, CLOTH PATCH U.S. MILITARY ASSISTANCE COMMAND, VIETNAM (MACV) SHOULDER SLEEVE INSIGNIA (FULL COLOR AND CONSISTING OF A RED SHIELD WITH A BORDER EMBROIDERED IN GOLD THREAD AND AN UPTURNED SWORD EMBROIDERED IN WHITE AND GOLD THREAD AT THE CENTER, FLANKED AT THE PROPER RIGHT- AND LEFT-HAND SIDES BY CASTLE PARAPETS EMBROIDERED IN GOLD THREAD) IS AFFIXED TO THE PLAQUE VIA SOME FORM OF CHEMICAL GLUE ADHESIVE. FINALLY, AT THE UPPER, PROPER RIGHT-HAND CORNER A MILITARY ISSUE, CLOTH PATCH U.S. ARMY REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM (USARV) SHOULDER SLEEVE INSIGNIA (FULL COLOR AND CONSISTING OF A TRI-COLOR (YELLOW/BLUE/RED, PROPER RIGHT TO PROPER LEFT) VERTICALLY-STRIPED SHIELD WITH AN UPTURNED SWORD EMBROIDERED IN GOLD AND WHITE THREAD AT THE CENTER AND A BORDER EMBROIDERED IN WHITE THREAD) IS AFFIXED TO THE PLAQUE VIA SOME FORM OF CHEMICAL GLUE ADHESIVE. AT THE CENTER OF THE OBVERSE OBJECT SURFACE OF THE PLAQUE A TYPEWRITTEN POEM IN BLACK INK AND BLOCK SCRIPT UPON A SQUARE SHAPED SHEET OF WHITE, UNLINED PAPER IS HOUSED BENEATH A CLEAR, SQUARE-SHAPED SHEET OF ONE-EIGHTH (1/8)" PLEXIGLAS AND WHICH IS AFFIXED TO THE PLAQUE VIA FOUR (4) BRASS UPHOLSTERY BRADS AT EACH CORNER OF THE PLEXI. THE POEM IS UNTITLED, BEGINS, "WE HAD COME AS BROTHERS TO VIETNAM", AND CONCLUDES, "REST IN PEACE". THE POEM NOTES THE VAST DIFFERENCES AMONGST ALLIED SERVICE PERSONNEL IN VIETNAM, CELEBRATES THE ABILITY OF THIS DIVERSE GROUP TO FACE PAIN, DEATH, AND HORROR IN UPHOLDING THE VALUES OF LIBERTY AND HUMAN FREEDOM, AND EXPRESSES PRIDE ON THE PART OF THE AUTHOR THAT HE DID NOT RUN AWAY OR SHIRK HIS DUTY AND CAN STILL CONSIDER HIMSELF A MAN FOR THE MANNER IN WHICH HE COMPORTED HIMSELF DURING HIS SERVICE. ALONG THE UPPER EDGE OF THE PLAQUE AT THE OBVERSE OBJECT SURFACE A PHRASE HANDWRITTEN IN BLACK INK/GREEN MARKER AND BLOCK SCRIPT/ARABIC NUMERALS IDENTIFIES THE PLAQUE AS DERIVING FROM THE, "PTSD UNIT / LYONS VA / LYONS N.J." AND IDENTIFIES BY NAME AND DATE OF THE PLAQUE'S PRODUCTION TWO (2) AMERICAN SERVICEMEN, THUSLY: "SP4 JOHNNY BORREL: / - 5-18-94 - / SP4 RAFAEL PICCART". FINALLY, HANDWRITTEN IN BLACK MARKER AND CURSIVE SCRIPT IN TWO (2) COLUMNS TO THE PROPER RIGHT- AND LEFT-HAND SIDES OF THE POEM (BETWEEN THE POEM AND THE AFFIXED CLOTH PATCH INSIGNIA ALONG THE OBJECT CIRCUMFERENCE) ARE THE SIGNATURES OF THIRTY-NINE (39) PARTICIPANTS (INCLUDING SOCIAL WORKERS, PSYCHOLOGISTS, MEDICAL PERSONNEL, AND ADMINISTRATORS) IN THE LYONS PTSD UNIT PROGRAM RESPONSIBLE FOR PRODUCING THE PLAQUE.

Text of typewritten poem and handwritten inscription at obverse object surface is transcribed in full, as follows: [Typewritten poem] "WE HAD COME AS BROTHERS TO VIETNAM, / ALTHOUGH WE WERE SO DIFFERENT, / ONE THING WAS COMMON TO ALL, / THE IDEA THAT LIBERTY AND FREEDOM / MUST NEVER BE ALLOWED TO FALL. / SO WE FACED THE DEATH AND HORROR, / UNTIL WE COULDN'T STAND THE PAIN. / THEN WE STOOD UP TALL AND FACED / IT A THOUSAND TIMES AGAIN. / BUT FOREVER SHALL I BE PROUD THAT / I SERVED AND I DIDN'T RUN AWAY / BECAUSE UNLIKE ALL THOSE OTHERS / I'M STILL A MAN TODAY! / REST IN PEACE" / [Handwritten inscription] "PTSD UNIT / LYONS VA / LYONS N.J. / SP4 Johnny Borrel: / - 5-18-94 / - SP4 Rafael Piccart"

Item Weight: 1750.0g
Item Length: 58.0cm
Item Width: 62.0cm
Item Depth: 2.0cm (Thickness)