Passing time on the way to war

Photo courtesy of Vietnam Graffiti Project

SOLDIERS SPEAK. A soldier on his way to war wrote “Vietnam 67-68” on this canvas bed, once aboard the USNS General Nelson M. Walker.

There have been many books and movies about combat during the Vietnam War and how the men who fought in the war readjusted to civilian life upon their return. “Marking Time: Voyage to Vietnam,” a new exhibit at Washington State History Museum, examines a component of the war that gets little attention – the boat ride over.

The USNS General Nelson M. Walker was one of the ships used to transport soldiers to Vietnam. It sailed from three cities on the West Coast – Tacoma, San Francisco and San Diego.

When it was sent to a shipyard in Virginia to be dismantled, a group of Vietnam War veterans received permission to remove objects from it. The Vietnam Graffiti Project, in partnership with Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, assembled the items and organized this touring exhibit.

The men on the Walker were young, with time to kill. Their journey was a mixture of boredom and anxiety about what awaited them when they landed. They expressed their thoughts by scrawling graffiti on the cots that served as their beds during the journey. Their ink on canvas creations left a permanent record of the experience these young men faced heading to war during a turbulent era in American history.

Themes range from rock ‘n roll, to girls, to sarcastic commentary on war in general. Six are arranged on one wall. One depicts a girl in a bikini walking among palm trees on a beach. Another shows a man in a hotel room trying to order room service, no doubt a commentary on the quality of the food served on the Walker.

A rack with eight cots, two across and four tall, shows the cramped space the men had to sleep in. On another wall are cots with names of soldiers and their hometowns. One has the words “love” and “peace” with the peace symbol.

A display case contains a variety of cleaning products used on the ship. Several cans of a product called Discard are included. This was used to clean up vomit, a common chore on a ship with numerous seasick men, many who had never been at sea before.

The Walker Report was a daily newsletter distributed on the ship. One in the exhibit contains a front-page story about protests against the draft in Oakland.

One case contains a variety of personal belongings left on board. Rosary beads and Bibles are here, as are books, playing cards and empty cigarette packs. A liquor bottle is displayed, proof that someone broke the rule prohibiting alcohol on the ship.

Everyone on board had to be prepared for the worst-case scenario of the ship sinking. A poster has directions on what to do if the abandon ship order is given. Life jackets, lifeboats and various items of survival gear are displayed.

A short video shows scenes from a voyage. In one, soldiers eat birthday cake. Another shows several on guitars and drums entertaining their comrades with a jam session.

A collection of photographs taken by Bill Noyes is in one corner. A soldier from San Jose who was drafted and went through basic training at Fort Lewis, Noyes took these pictures during his tour of duty in 1968. He recently wrote the captions that accompany them for this exhibit.

Those who bring a cell phone along can dial a number to hear more information about the items they are observing.

“Marking Time: Voyage To Vietnam” runs through Dec. 13.

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