From the Exhibition:
Agents of Faith: Votive Objects in Time and Place
This bottle of San Miguel Pale Pilsner was placed at the
base of panel 06 East (06E) of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC,
on October 19, 1990. In the tradition of sending a message across the open sea,
a letter had been written and placed inside the bottle; however, instead of addressing
the letter to the world at large, its author had a specific recipient in mind. Don
George, a Vietnam veteran, had written the letter to his high school friend
James Malcolm Arbuthnot, who had been killed in action in the Vietnam War on
March 30, 1966, and whose name is etched on panel 06E. Don had rolled the
letter up and slipped it inside the empty bottle before leaving it for his
friend. Although he addressed Jim directly, his letter was, in effect, written for
the world at large and left in a highly public place where anyone else could
read it. When he placed it at the memorial, Don understood that the letter
would never be read by its intended recipient. Or did he?
A common sight at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, alcoholic
offerings are also known throughout the world as a traditional way of paying
tribute or honor to the deceased. The practice of sharing a drink continues on
in death as surviving family and friends visit graves, shrines, or memorials to
commune with their loved ones. This bottle is just one example of a libation
that has been left at the memorial, and since 1982, more than 150 containers of
beer, wine, champagne, or liquor have been left there. Often a small amount of
liquid will be consumed by the donor and the rest left for the deceased. Many
times, these offerings are anonymous. In this case, however, those involved
have left us clues so that we are able to tell some of their story.
Don and Jim both attended high school at the American School
in the Philippines, and Don reminisces about their time together:
Hey Jim, Remember all the San
Miguel bottles of beer that we drank while going to high school at the American
School in Makati, Rizal, Republic of the Philippines during the 60’s? This one
is in memory of you. I just wish we could have gotten together to share it one
to one. See ya. Peace.
Jim had graduated from high school in 1964 and then joined
the U.S. Army. Sometime later, he met a woman named Patricia, and between
January 1965 and March 1966, he sent her thirteen letters describing his
training and his first experiences in the war. His letters tell a great deal about
his life during that short time. He attended basic training at Fort Leonard
Wood, Missouri, and then airborne training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. His
tour in Vietnam began in January 1966. His letters are enthusiastic at first,
but soon after arriving there he started to experience the horrors of war, and
he describes some of these fears and anxieties in his letters. He learned early
in his tour that previous service would enable him to cut his current obligation
to just five months instead of the normal twelve. Unfortunately, he made it only
to the second month of his tour. His last letter is dated March 24, 1966. He
was killed six days later. The letters he wrote to Patricia are, like Don’s
bottle, a votive offering at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Jim’s memory.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial museum collection is
considered the first museum collection consisting entirely of votive offerings,
or “memorial items,” that have been left at a memorial site or place of significance.
The practice has sprung up at other places of national mourning: the Oklahoma
City bombing site, the Boston Marathon bombing site, Emanuel African Methodist
Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, and the Pulse nightclub in
Orlando, Florida. The phenomenon is spurred by a desire to remember and honor
the victims. At the Vietnam Veterans Memorial it continues to be a very
personal experience, even half a century after the end of the war.
When people leave these items, they may not be thinking
about the tradition or the history of the act they are performing. When visitors
are asked why they are leaving something as an offering, the usual reasons
include a desire to communicate with the dead, pay respects, or remember those
lost. Another common response is that the donor doesn’t really know the reason but
simply feels compelled to do it. When Don George left his letter and beer
bottle at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in 1990, he may have felt that he had
found a way to actually communicate with his lost friend. He shared a moment
(and a drink) with someone he wanted to remember, to pay his respects to. Through
Don’s act, we have come to know a little more about the life of James
Arbuthnot, who gave his life in service to his country.
Janet Folkerts, Museum
Curator of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, is on detail as Museum Curator
(Acting) of the National Mall and Memorial Parks.
