From the collection of the National Park Service, National Mall and Memorial Parks.
note, handwritten plywood
VIVE 09794
08/09/2005
Handwritten note on a sheet of 1/4" plywood referring to the Mayaguez incident and subsequent rescue of American military personnel on May 15, 1975 (the last official battle of the Vietnam War). In the note, the unidentified author informs his comrades that he can't forget and will see them, "[...] on the other side", while thanking the U.S. Navy & Air Force personnel who worked so hard to save lives during the action. The artifact was left at The Wall by an anonymous donor on August 9, 2005.
HANDWRITTEN NOTE ON PLYWOOD. THE OBJECT CONSISTS OF A HANDWRITTEN NOTE IN BLACK MARKER AND BLOCK SCRIPT/ARABIC NUMERALS UPON A RECTANGULARLY SHAPED, ONE-QUARTER (1/4)" SHEET OF UNFINISHED PLYWOOD. THE NOTE REFERENCES THE, "MAYAGUEZ RESCUE / 15 MAY 1975" (THE LAST COMBAT ACTION INVOLVING AMERICAN TROOPS DURING THE VIETNAM WAR), ADDRESSES THOSE LOST DURING THE ACTION BY STATING THAT THE AUTHOR CAN'T FORGET AND WILL SEE THEM, "[...] ON THE OTHER SIDE", IS SIGNED, "USMC FOREVER, / THE LIVING", AND OFFERS A POSTSCRIPT OF THANKS TO THE U.S. NAVY AND AIR FORCE PERSONNEL INVOLVED IN THE RESCUE ATTEMPT. ORIGINALLY, THREE (3) FULL COLOR REFLECTIVE ADHESIVE STICKERS WITH THE SEALS OF THE U.S. MARINE CORPS, U.S. NAVY, AND U.S. AIR FORCE, RESPECTIVELY, WERE AFFIXED TO THE LOWER, CENTER, AND LOWER, PROPER LEFT-HAND CORNER OF THE OBVERSE OBJECT SURFACE. HOWEVER, UPON RETURN OF THE OBJECT FROM THE NYRO LOAN ON (9/13/2013) ALL THREE (3) STICKERS HAVE NOW BECOME DISJOINED/DISSOCIATED AND ARE COMPLETELY MISSING FROM THE OBJECT. FOUR (4) SMALL HOLES ARE DRILLED THROUGH EACH OF THE FOUR (4) CORNERS OF THE OBJECT WHILE NINE (9) CIRCULARLY SHAPED VELCRO PATCHES ARE ADHERED TO THE REVERSE OBJECT SURFACE, BOTH APPARENTLY FOR THE PURPOSE OF MOUNTING/DISPLAYING OF THE OBJECT.
VIVE-00218
1
Text of the handwritten note at the obverse object surface is transcribed in full, as follows: "Mayaguez Rescue / 15 May 1975 / Hey bros, / Many forget, I can't. / See you on the other side. / USMC forever, the living / P.S. the world sucks / P.P.S.S. thank those Navy & Air Force guys who worked so hard to save our asses - I know some of them are with you"
Item Weight: 900.0g
Item Length: 72.5cm
Item Width: 51.0cm
Item Depth: 0.5cm (Thickness)