The Vietnam Graffiti Project of The Vietnam Center and Sam Johnson Vietnam Archive at Texas Tech University is a cooperative project with the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration. Created early in 2005, the project began with the intention of collecting canvas bunk bottoms from various troop transport ships used during the Vietnam War. These transports were all originally commissioned during World War II, and saw service through Korea and into Vietnam, generally being phased out during the late 60's and early 70's. Journeys between the United States and Southeast Asia generally took between two to three weeks, and were periods of intense boredom for the troops onboard. The young soldiers passed the time in a variety of ways, including playing cards, writing letters home, and expressing their opinions and feelings on the canvas bunk bottom of the bunk directly above them. This "graffiti" could be anything from a simple "I Was Here" to elaborate artwork, and everything in between. These canvases provide a unique perspective on the thoughts and feelings, and the creativity, of the soldiers who served in Southeast Asia. In spring 2005, archive staff and other volunteers traveled to the USNS General John Pope docked in Suisun Bay, CA, as part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet. Almost 400 bunk bottoms were removed over a period of 5 days and returned to the archive for processing, cataloging, and preservation. All canvas bunk bottoms have been inventoried and photographed for access and viewing via the Internet.