So, took fan, shroud and then the front plate on the vacuum pump off. Some little pieces fell out and then fished this little gray piece (pic, on left) from out of the hole.

What needs to go back in or replaced?

Thanks for the help. Car is apart and I need to drive it tonight.

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The plastic, grey piece is the plunger from the failed nipple check valve. There should also be a coil spring in there, somewhere. The nickel-sized check valve needs to go back where it came from. (Reinstalling it with the pump on the engine might present a challenge.) And you need a new nipple check valve. You can get by without the nipple check valve short term; just use the gutted nipple to reattach the hard line.

Thank you very much for that. I'll get that ordered. What does that check valve do, anyways? Is that what I need to drop my vacuum down to normal from the 20 + inches it has currently?

More likely the nipple check valve prevents residual vacuum from sucking oil into the plumbing following engine shut-down.