VietNow National Magazine

Bright Lights at The Traveling Wall
Lake City, Minnesota

Story and photos by Christian Nelson, VietNow National Editor

Cole Black
POW – Shot Down 21 June, 1966

The visual focus of the day was the Traveling Wall, but the guest of honor was Cole Black. Being a part of this day was a moving experience for Black, who grew up in nearby Oak Center and graduated from high school in Lake City. “Patton Park looked better than I’d ever seen it. I was proud of my old home town and proud of the local VFW who worked so hard to make this a perfect day. The Wall fit the park perfectly.”

After almost seven years as a prisoner, Black holds no ill will against his former captors, and almost 30 years after his release says, “I suppose they were just doing their jobs.”

William J. Fraley
Volunteer at The Traveling Wall

After four years in the Regular Army, serving with the 82nd Airborne, and making a combat jump during 1990’s “Operation Just Cause” in Panama, William Fraley has been an active member in the U.S. Army Reserves as a part of the 417th Det. 1 Maintenance Battalion out of Wabasha, Wisconsin.

Fraley worked 12-hour shifts for all of the four days The Traveling Wall was in Lake City, His friendliness and his willingness to “just keep looking” helped lots of people find the names they were looking for on The Wall.

“Both of my brothers were in Vietnam, both of them were wounded, and fortunately both of them came home. I was more than happy to volunteer my services at The Wall. I consider it an honor to help any way I can.”

John and Linda Anderson
Site Managers for the Traveling Wall

Even though it’s half the size of The Wall in Washington, the Traveling Wall is still around 250 feet long and has all 58,220 names on it. And safeguarding The Wall and moving it from town to town has been the Andersons’ full-time job for over four years now.

“I’ve got 39 of my unit (F Troop, 8th Cavalry, Blue Ghosts) on this wall, and it helps me to take them to their home towns and let their relatives view their names in a comfortable, familiar setting.”

Steve Hinkley
Lifetime Member, Lake City VFW

As the Postmaster of Lake City, Minnesota, Hinkley says the war was something that had been with him, in the back of his mind, for 30 years. “This was the first time I’d been to any kind of ‘Wall’ and seeing the Traveling Wall brought it all right back.”

He says he wasn’t sure what it was going to be like, but says, “Once I saw it, it was a good feeling. It was sad, but it was a good feeling.”

A Gunner’s Mate on a Navy destroyer, Hinkley made trips up and down the Saigon River, and says that since the post office where he works was right across the street, he visited the Traveling Wall three times a day, just sitting there soaking it all in.

Click to read Amnesia at the Traveling Wall - Lake City, MInnesota
(More about a visit to the Traveling Wall).

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