ITEMS LEFT AT THE WALL

Laminated, handwritten note dedicated to U.S. Marine Corps Private First Class (PFC) Michael Lee Zappia. The note is entitled, "The Wall", is from David Wilcox [?], and consists of numerous quotations from Mr. Wilcox and from the motion picture "Platoon" regarding military service in the Vietnam War, the process of coping with the emotional toll of that service, and the responsibilities of service members to future generations. The artifact was left at The Wall along with a braided ribbon (VIVE (11051)) by David Wilcox [?] in June 1993.

LAMINATED, HANDWRITTEN NOTE DEDICATED TO U.S. MARINE CORPS PRIVATE FIRST CLASS (PFC) MICHAEL LEE ZAPPIA AND U.S. ARMY PRIVATE FIRST CLASS (PFC) GARY NOBORU KAWAMURA. THE OBJECT CONSISTS OF A NOTE HANDWRITTEN IN BLACK AND RED INK AND CURSIVE SCRIPT/ARABIC NUMERALS UPON A RECTANGULARLY SHAPED SHEET OF YELLOW, LINED PAPER WHICH HAS BEEN LAMINATED INSIDE A CLEAR POLY-PLASTIC MATERIAL. THE NOTE IS ENTITLED, "THE WALL", IS DEDICATED TO MARINE CORPS PFC MICHAEL LEE ZAPPIA, AND CONSISTS OF NUMEROUS QUOTATIONS FROM, "DAVID WILCOX" AND FROM THE MOTION PICTURE, "PLATOON" REGARDING SERVICE IN THE VIETNAM WAR, THE PROCESS OF COPING WITH THE EMOTIONAL TOLL OF THAT SERVICE, AND THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF SERVICE MEMBERS TO FUTURE GENERATIONS. THE PAPER FIBERS COMPRISING THE SHEET UPON WHICH THE NOTE IS COMPOSED BEAR ONE (1) DISTINCT VERTICAL AND ONE (1) DISTINCT HORIZONTAL CREASE, THEREBY DIVIDING THE PAGE INTO QUARTERS (1/4). TURNER BOOK, PG. 32. THE OBJECT IS ASSOCIATED WITH VIVE (11051).

Text of the handwritten note is transcribed in full, as follows: "The Wall / Michael Lee Zappia / February 25, 1969 / • “Let them in, Peter.” - David Wilcox / • Dedicated to the men and women who fought and died in the Viet Nam War / • We did not fight the enemy. We fought ourselves and the enemy was within us. / The war is over for me now, but it will always be there for the rest of my days. / Those of us who did make it have an obligation to build again. To teach to others what we know and to try with what’s left of our lives, to find a goodness and a meaning to this life. / - From the movie Platoon"

Item Weight: 15.9g
Item Length: 27.5cm
Item Width: 21.5cm