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Image Not Available for Christmas Poem to U.S. Troops in Vietnam from Belén High School
Christmas Poem to U.S. Troops in Vietnam from Belén High School
Image Not Available for Christmas Poem to U.S. Troops in Vietnam from Belén High School

Christmas Poem to U.S. Troops in Vietnam from Belén High School

Date1972
Mediumpaint on polyester, ink, wood
Dimensions104 1/2 × 25 3/4 in. (265.4 × 65.4 cm)
ClassificationsDocumentary Artifact
Credit LineAlbuquerque Museum, gift of the Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation
Object numberPC2019.65.3
DescriptionThis is a white polyester scroll with wooden handles. The scroll was presented to Bob Hope by Belén High School in Belén, New Mexico, for him to deliver to the troops during his 1972 Christmas Tour. The students painted a poem in red paint on the fabric that reads, "GREETINGS/The fabulous Bob Hope has/brought this scroll/To bring good tidings from/Belen High School./Be not afraid of the/youth of today/The majority's behind/you all the way./From the Mekong Delta/to the rigid Dak To/When the goin' gets tough/go, go, get'm GI Joe!/We pray this scroll has/brought you cheer;/May God protect you/this forthcoming year./If ever you need to/write to someone,/Send us a note and/we'll write you one./So cheer up boys and/finish this test/Cause remember you're/all America's best./Belén High School/Belén, New Mexico." There are yellow holly leaves painted in places around the poem, and there are painted holly berries and leaves near the bottom of the poem. Almost the entire bottom half of the scroll is filled in with signatures. An additional piece of fabric is sewn to the bottom segment of the scroll.
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