(Community Matters 197) The Wall That Heals Returns to Battle Creek

The Wall That Heals returns to Battle Creek. Colonel Frank Walker and Dave Morgan from Calhoun County Red White Blue Foundation explain how they got it to come back to Battle Creek and how it moves people so deeply. 

Episode Resources

The Wall That Heals Website

Calhoun County Red White Blue Foundation Website

ABOUT COMMUNITY MATTERS
Former WBCK Morning Show host Richard Piet (2014-2017) returns to host Community Matters, an interview program focused on community leaders and newsmakers in and around Battle Creek. Community Matters is heard Saturdays, 8:00 AM Eastern on WBCK-FM (95.3) and anytime at battlecreekpodcast.com.

Community Matters is sponsored by Lakeview Ford Lincoln and produced by Livemic Communications.

Transcript

Where To Find The Show

Richard Piet 0:02

You've got Community Matters Saturdays at 8 a.m. at 95.3. Anytime, battlecreekpodcast.com or where you get podcasts. This is the simplest way to play these on your device. Just go where you get podcasts and type in Community Matters Calhoun County, and we'll pop up, and then you can follow us. And then every week you get a little notice when our new episodes drop.

The Wall That Heals Comes Back

Richard Piet 0:29

Well, it is an occasion to be sure. Coming up in August, the Wall That Heals will be back in Battle Creek. And if you're saying, gee, wasn't it here just a couple of years ago? You would be right. The Wall That Heals comes back to Battle Creek. It is a replica of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington. It travels and uh perhaps more notably so is a mobile education center, which gives folks an opportunity to visit and reflect at the wall that heals because it essentially comes to us. A lot of that happens in Battle Creek as a result of the Calhoun County Red, White, Blue Foundation. Colonel Frank Walker is the chairman. Dave Morgan is the vice chair and founder, and both of them join us today. Gentlemen, thank you.

Speaker 1:24

Well, thank you, Richard, for having us. Yeah, thank you, Richard.

What The Traveling Wall Is

Richard Piet 1:27

Let's talk about what the wall that heals is. I sort of gave a little run-up there, Colonel, but in your words, talk about what it is.

Col Frank Walker 1:37

Well, it's a three-quarters replica of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C., as you said. It is the only, there's about four of them that travel. It's the one that is really sanctioned by the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C., the BBMF, Vietnam Memorial Fund. So it is the aesthetic one. It's the one that has the 58,281 names on the wall. There's a fillmore in Washington. Somebody always questions that. That's because of the duplications and things that when it was built in 1982. But the bottom line is every name that is on the wall in Washington, D.C. travels with the wall that heels to the communities. It's going to be in 36 communities this year. As you mentioned, we had it here in 2022. We're very fortunate to bring it back in 2026. But it's more than 58,281 names on a granite wall. They're souls, their husbands, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, friends. And uh 2.7 million Vietnam veterans served moves on ground in Vietnam. So about 700 to 800,000 are still living. And even though their names are not on the wall, many of them uh pass on of diseases and wounds that are inflicted as their result of serving in Vietnam. And we'll talk a little bit about a program that we have for them as well. But the bottom line is, Richard, they did not get the respect and dignity they so richly deserved after coming back home from Vietnam. We used to call it an opening ceremony. We now call it the welcome home ceremony because again, we're going to welcome home 58,281 souls, but also all of the living veterans and their families support. So it really does mean a great deal. I always tell folks there's a number of people that can't make it to Washington, D.C. for a myriad of reasons. Financial, mobility reasons, health reasons, et cetera, et cetera. So we, we, the Kellogg County, Red, White, and Lou Foundation and the city of Battle Creek and the communities surrounding communities and counties, we bring the ball to them. And so um, before I give it to Dave to tell you his portion, let me just tell you a real quick story of why the war really comes

A 3 A.M. Moment Of Healing

Col Frank Walker 4:04

to back in 2012, it came to Richmond, Michigan, and I happened to be a part of that uh process too. I served on the committee that brought it. At three o'clock in the morning, the wall is open 24-7. At three o'clock in the morning, a friend of mine that I graduated from uh Battle Creek Center with was a Vietnam veteran who served in Vietnam, who had been to Washington three times and could never walk the walk. He had three of his very best friends killed in action right beside him in Vietnam. He could not do that for a myriad of reasons. But at three o'clock in the morning in Richland, Michigan, it was just him and I. And I said, hey, I won't mention any names, but I said, Hey, it's in your community now. There's no tourists around. It's just you and I and your friends on that wall, and let's try to do this together. So step by step, a lot of tears, a lot of emotions, and things like that. Bottom line, to make a short, a long story short, he did it. And so that story alone, Richard, makes or has a place in my heart to say, why do you bring the law to a community? That's all you gotta go. That's as far as I have to go. Yeah. And there's a myriad of those stories, but that's as far as it goes. So that's why I'm so uh compassionate about bringing this memorial to our uh veterans in our community.

Richard Piet 5:24

Yeah, just to underscore that a second, this is the meaning of this experience for folks that it took him four times to get close to it, and maybe it would never have happened had it not come to him eventually. That's the point.

Col Frank Walker 5:42

That's the point. That's the point. And it's and that's why it's called the Wall of Guilty. And I I'll guarantee you in 2022, the first time he sees me, he'll come over and give me a big hug and say thank you, brother. And in 2026, he'll do the same thing. That's all the things I need. You can stop right there, and there's a lot of other reasons to do it, but that's just an example, and there's books and books of examples.

Why Battle Creek Earned A Return

Richard Piet 6:05

All right, Dave. Uh, it's it's good to see you. It's been a while.

Dave Morgan 6:07

What does it mean to you? Oh, I think it's exceptional. I was just in Washington, D.C. and saw the Vietnam uh Wall Memorial there, and I saw the traveling wall, the one we'll have in Battle Creek, and surprised Arizona this year. Um, Charles Solano and I went to see how their event went. And it's just it brings out the best in everybody. It gives everybody a time to reflect on all the sacrifices that have been made for this country, whether it's Vietnam or even other wars. And as Colonel was saying, in 2022, we had such a massive turnout. I believe Colonel's got the numbers, but it was somewhere around 20,000 people. We had 400 and some uh escort riders to bring the ball in. You just get a massive turnout. It means so much to so many people. I can tell you for a fact, I talked to people who came from Texas uh to see it. Two brothers met. One was from Texas, one was from Illinois. Their brother was killed in Vietnam. They both came to the wall and met in 2022 in Battle Creek. It's just something that the Kelvin County Red White Blue Foundation and Colonel Walker, as our chair, has been able to do to bring the wall here and to share it with the community. A lot Vince Pavone, you look at Vince, you know Vince very well. We have so many people in our community that do so much, and Vince in Lakeview Ford is a great example of that, many others that just give so much to the community. This is our way to give back. And and I will say, Colonel Walker, he's humble, but he's the number one reason really that we were able to secure the wall twice now. And when I was in surprise, for instance, when they heard I was from Battle Creek, Charles and I, the people involved with the wall, came over right away. And they said, We've heard so much about what happened in Battle Creek and how great the event was in 2022. They both said that they're gonna try to come here just to see it in Battle Creek because of what they've heard. And and that goes back to Colonel Walker, General Seacrest, our board members, Steve Frisbee and you know John Barnes. I shouldn't have started because I'd be here all day talking. We have an exceptional board, and uh Colonel Walker's a big reason why the the wall's been here twice now in uh four years.

Richard Piet 8:23

How did that happen, Colonel? How did we score this twice in such a short amount of time?

Col Frank Walker 8:29

Well, actually, um in 2012, I served on the uh committee in the broadcast, and I just happened to uh to get a network g oing with some folks down there and stay in contact with them. And so uh when Dave was the chair and the founder of this great organization, so he gets credit for that, uh, and thank you for complimenting me, Dave. But you know as well as I do, it takes more than one person to make this happen. But Dave uh founded this uh, and we were just talking one day. We we brought uh we were uh JB uh whiskey uh out there, um, and then Jim Bloomfield and his folks. Uh we had the Michigan law and uh somebody just happened to mention to me, guy, wouldn't it be nice to have the a national law? And I said, I think I might have a few contacts. So I made a few phone calls, and uh it just so happens that uh in 2022 we were selected. It's a it's a fairly long process. It takes about a year to go through, and uh there's a number of communities buying to have this particular law come. So uh I made a few phone calls and uh Dave put his contacts in motion, and so in 2022 it happened. Well, then after 2022, uh we stayed in contact, or I stayed in contact to when many of them, and um we really thought this was gonna happen in 2027 and maybe 2028, but Kathy Miller, who is the uh CEO and new president of the uh BBMF, uh called me up and said, you know, you guys done such a great job. It's gonna be in Taylor, Michigan, the week prior. So we're close to you. And uh if if you're willing to take it again in the uh year that we celebrate our 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, uh, then it's yours. So uh I presented it to uh the board, and like they said, we have such a tremendous board, overwhelming support from the board and the community, so we made it happen. Now, does that mean it's going to be back in another five years? I don't know. So if I were you in the community, I would take advantage of it in 2026 because uh some of us are getting older, and I'm not so sure I can uh do this again.

Richard Piet 10:36

So, yeah, we shouldn't rest on our laurels, I guess, is what you're saying.

Col Frank Walker 10:39

No, no, no, not at all. Take advantage of it while it's here.

Richard Piet 10:43

Either one of you, what is it about Battle Creek that resonated so much?

Col Frank Walker 10:48

Well, let me too, because obviously Dave is very uh involved with the community uh in terms of the political side and all of the things that he's done, all the great things he's done. But I will just tell you that we have a community that supports the uh military veterans and their families. They always have. When we started, I'm one of the pioneers from the uh Kellogg County Red, White, and Blue Foundation. They've had an idea that we have a number of our young folks that go into the military right out of high school rather than going to college. And he wanted to come up with a way that we can recognize them because they're going in to serve their nation before they actually even go to college. And so we started a program doing that. Uh, our community came around, supported it. About anything that we ask them to do, they step forward. Now, I got a caveat this, uh, Richard, by saying when we bring the wall here and other things within our community, it's not just Battle Creek. We have surrounding, uh, we Kelvis is involved this year a big time. Jackson, we have folks in Indiana Ohio. However, we just tend to in Battle Creek be the rallying point, the cheerleaders, and come out. And so we're very blessed. And I know Dave can really articulate that because he's probably got a few names of folks that have really been instrumental in doing this.

Dave Morgan 12:04

So, Dave. Well, in the Battle Creek community, of course, we go back into World War II with the training and you know, Fort Custer, the VA Medical Center, the Federal Center, the late Congressman Joe Schwartz. We have so many people in the community, like Colonel Walker said, very supportive of military and and our kids that are going into the military now. We have Youth Challenge Academy, and just everywhere you look, it's pro-military. You go out to Harper Creek High School, they have a huge display for every person that's graduated from Harper Creek going into the military, and so we're kind of the foundation, and the reason it started was kind of to bring everybody together so we were able to put events on like this, and we've had many events outside of this one for the entire community as well. This one's exceptional and it really changes lives. I guarantee you the people that come to this to see the wall of the heels, their lives are changed forever because you do not leave there without being moved. We have so many people, like I've said, on our board. Part of being a great foundation, a great business is who you surround yourself with. And I can honestly say when we started the foundation, the Kelton County Red, White, Blue Foundation, the very first thing Brenda Hunt and I talked about, and we worked together to get it off the ground as far as financially and legally,

What To Expect On Site

Dave Morgan 13:28

was we needed to put a board together that represented the best of the best. And I can promise you, when you look at our board, that's exactly what we have. And that's why we're able to do what we're doing with leaders like Colonel Walker, General Seacrest, and the rest of our board.

Richard Piet 13:44

That sounds like something Brenda would say, doesn't it? I think we uh threw the ball right down the middle here, Dave, for you to hit a home run here and tell us what all the Red, White, Blue Foundation does besides this event.

Dave Morgan 13:57

It started when I was township supervisor at Penfield. So I we wanted to recognize the Penfield students who were graduating high school going into the military. In 2017, we had nine students that were graduating. We had a program out there, Colonel Walker was involved, General Seatkrest again, uh Steve Frisbee, John Barnes, and some others. We recognized them, then we did it again in 2018, and we started noticing that there were a lot of kids coming from other schools who were going into the military to watch our ceremony. So then Steve Frisbee, who was commissioner at the time, he kind of said, you know, we should think about expanding this. And I said, You know, that's a good idea. So we expanded it throughout the county, and now we invited kids from all the schools. And Colonel, I can't remember how many didn't we have like 55 or something the first it was over 50. I don't know the exact number, but it's 50 or more. Well, we are yeah, over 50 students going in, and then it's kind of expanded from there, and then of course, we've had other events. We help different organizations within the community as far as veterans issues go, and we kind of work with everybody. We kind of solidify bringing everybody together to work as one for the community.

Richard Piet 15:11

A lot of our American legions we work closely with in different organizations like well, congratulations on all of that and the progress for an idea that came up somewhat haphazardly. It has followed through, hasn't it?

Dave Morgan 15:24

Yeah, it all started with those kids in Penfield and has grown into this.

Col Frank Walker 15:28

I want to just articulate the foundation continues on. Well, we do we do fundraisers, obviously, because a foundation is not a foundation if we don't have money, but we now offer grants. And we we offer grants to uh veterans and veteran organizations that need money for whatever reason, uh myriad of reasons. But we've expanded that to our first responders and our EMT and folks like that because they really are part of that extension of hometown heroes when we say hometown heroes. Uh, you know, many of us have been in combat. We've been over to in my case, I served in the Middle East and Iraq and Afghanistan the whole bit uh in during the Vietnam era. But I think of a public safety officer who's on 24-7 who has to go and protect some youth or or child or whatever, and a fireman that has to go into a burning building to save a lives, they're certainly hometown heroes and they wear the uniform. So I always say that we started out basically like Dave said, but we've expanded to say, hey, if we got the sheriff's department and they need things like that, so uh we've expanded. So uh the more money we make, the more people we can help.

Richard Piet 16:31

Talk about, for those who have not experienced the wall before, what can they expect? What is, I suppose we can speak about it practically, right? When when they get there, what happens? But talk about how it eventuates and how people tend to respond as they're going through it.

Col Frank Walker 16:50

What's the saying is uh from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and uh funded uh Washington, DC, is that when we take a cool community, we want it to be a clone as if it was in Washington, D.C. Yeah. And so what happens is there are very strict rules that we apply. In other words, there's no food or no drinks. Uh it is a memorial. It is 58,281 names on it, and we want it to have it in the serve. We don't allow any solicitation, we don't allow anybody to do any political campaigns or anything of a sort. This is strictly, strictly and only for the friends and family of those on 58,281 names. Now, when I say strictly for friends and friends, obviously it's an educational for our youth as well. This never uh wasn't around during uh Vietnam, but we want that to go. So we have a sacred ark. When you drive up at night with the lights on and you close your eyes and you'll visualize you're in Morphinon, D.C. It has every name there. We have what's called the Sacred Ark, where you can't take food or drinks or anything down there. We allow our veterans, uh, our our volunteers are trained. They have an app on their phone that basically will tell them exactly where the name is. We have the Apex about seven and a half feet high. It starts and ends there. And they're on the wall by the date of KIA, not by alphabetical order. But our volunteer will have it on their app so that you come and one of your loved ones or a uh family member or somebody that you want to look up that can look right on their apps and go right to the pane with a new. And we teach our volunteers to step back and let that person reflect. Many of them will bring gifts and they'll leave there, they'll leave cards, they'll leave flowers, whatever. So, how do people react? Well, I'll be very honest with you, Richard. Everybody reacts a little differently from a standpoint. You will see a lot of emotions, you will see a lot of tears, you'll see folks that just want to sit back in

Agent Orange And PTSD Considerations

Col Frank Walker 18:46

the bleachers and just remember. So a lot of missed emotions. 369 is an organization that had Huey helicopters. They will be at the American Legion. I think you might have heard about this, but they'll be at 257 the same weekend, not the entire time, but the same weekend. Um, and so um I know I got a little bit of a criticism at one time because they wanted to be co-located with us at the same time. And there's a reason that that don't happen. Number one, I don't know if you know what a Huey is, but they make a lot of noise and they and they'd have a lot of dust and debris and things of that sort when they take off. So it just wouldn't work from that standpoint. Uh they could have one at static, but they couldn't have it there. And more importantly for me, I visit veterans' hospitals and nursing facilities where we have veterans and the sound of a Hewlett intruder PTSD has the walk-in as well. So my thought was if it's over there at uh 257, which is just a few yards away, and it's at the Harper Creek High School. I by the way, I can't say enough about our Harper Creek High School for hosting this, but we leave the choice to the veteran and the family. We encourage them to go to both, but if they can only go to one, then that's fine too. We're bringing it for them and them only, not for our benefit. So uh we're just very fortunate, and we're doing something new this year. We we're having what we call a uh an agent orange ceremony on Friday night, yeah, where we're gonna have the community come out, and they tell me this is the first time we've done that, they just started doing it. It is a very uh picturesque type and very emotional.

How To Volunteer Or Donate

Richard Piet 20:22

So, Dave, how can someone listening support the foundation, this event? Tell us how.

Dave Morgan 20:29

There's multiple ways. We have a Facebook page, so you can always go on Facebook and go to the Calvin County Red White Blue Foundation page. If you want to go to our website, it's just the initials CCWCRWBF.org. So Kelvin County Red White Blue Foundation.org. CCRWBF.org. There you can volunteer to work at the wall to be part of the team, which is uh an amazing experience. Um, you can donate. Uh that like Colonel Walker says, that helps us help others. Many things you can do, and you can follow our organization and become involved going forward. Because when you become part of our organization, you're really helping veterans throughout the community in many different ways. So it is it's a great opportunity. Harper Creek, like Colonel Walker said, you we cannot say enough about Harper Creek. I've been to multiple places now where the wall's been, and I can honestly say, and I'm not without any hype, the display at Harper Creek is by far the most beautiful, moving, touching display you'll ever see this wall at anywhere in the country. You do not want to miss it. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity. In our case, twice in a lifetime. Yeah, it's rare, but it's a great opportunity. Bring your kids because the kids don't, it's not like when we were in school and we learned history about World War I, two, you know, Vietnam. That's been kind of left out a lot lately, and bring. And the youth and to see the and to actually see that many names they gave their life for you is really moving.

Dates, Escort Ride, And Ceremonies

Richard Piet 22:08

So this wall that heals event will be at the Harper Creek High School Soccer Field Complex. Uh, and if you need an address, that's uh 7290 B Drive North, of course. This will be August 20th through the 23rd. Now, Colonel, you said the escort of the wall itself comes in on the 18th, and I presume there is something of an organized uh chaos of sorts that helps set this up, and this is part of the volunteer opportunity, right? Folks could be part of that.

Col Frank Walker 22:38

Correct. Actually, what happens, uh, Richard, is on the 18th, we all meet at Gildberg High School. That's the where the uh escort will originate from. Okay. Uh Dave uh is sort of the guru in charge of all of the volunteers to help the escort captain, all of the writers. There is no charge. You can actually show up today of, even though you can sign up early, but you can sign up today of, and we certainly will allow you to be in the escort. That will start on the 18th. So one o'clock is set, or uh where they'll actually set it up. Kickstanders will be up at 2 p.m. And it will drive uh all the way down from Gillsburg all the way to Clark Road in Fort Custer, make a left there, then go out into uh West Michigan and follow straight all the way through the city of Battle Creek off to Harper Creek. So from about uh two to about 2.45, those streets are lined up great. When it gets there, we'll have a very short ceremony and then we'll park the uh vehicle. And then on the 19th, the next day, early in the morning at eight o'clock, we'll have a group show up right now. It's the Fentfield High School and Harper Creek High School, and the one 10th's gonna help us set it up. And so we'll get it all set up. Here's the kicker. Even though the flyers will say the 20th through the 23rd, when it is set up at about two or three o'clock the afternoon of the 19th, that wall is open. And so, from a volunteer standpoint, uh Dave's got to make sure that we have volunteers. On that evening, Wednesday, the August 19th, we'll have a very quick ribbon-cutting ceremony. Basically, uh Caribbeer and the chamber will come down. We'll do a quick uh ribbon cutting ceremony. Right after that, at six o'clock, we'll have the training of all of our volunteers. Okay? Then on Thursday at 10 a.m. is our welcome home ceremony. Jim McLuhan, Medal of Honor recipient from Vietnam, a medic, who uh was awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest award you can get in the military, will be our keynote speaker. Uh, he's a good friend of mine, he's an outstanding speaker. He can tell you stories of uh in Vietnam. And then every evening, the Serial City concert van is providing someone to do taps. Not a big ceremony, it is a very dignified way we do it. No speeches. We go down and we do taps. As I mentioned, on Friday night is the agent orange ceremony and taps, and that will begin at 9 o'clock too, because we do it at night. We want it to be dark. And then Saturday is the doing all day, and then again, at that, uh, we don't have any programs set up as far as ceremonies. But at 9 o'clock on Saturday evening, well, again, we'll have taps. And then we'll have a closing ceremony on Sunday at 1.30. And right after the closing ceremony is when we tear it down. So a lot of opportunity. Please remember the Walded Hills, once it is set up, it is open 24-7. We do not close it. There's no time. You can come out at three o'clock in the morning. You can come out anytime, and um, we'll have the volunteers taking care of you.

Richard Piet 25:36

Volunteers there the whole time.

Col Frank Walker 25:37

Whole time. Well, do we and that's a little bit of a challenge for our volunteer coordinators, but believe it or not, as I mentioned before, our community has so graciously uh accepted us uh that we'll have about two to three hundred volunteers that I think we're 90-95% filled, aren't we, Dave?

Dave Morgan 25:54

Yeah, yep, we're about 95%.

Col Frank Walker 25:56

So there you go.

Richard Piet 25:57

All right. Well, don't deter that deter you from uh checking to make sure that volunteer opportunities are there because perhaps they will be. So officially August 20 to 23rd at Harper Creek High School Soccer Field, the wall that heals. But as you heard Colonel and Dave just now saying, the 18th really the uh work begins, and there could be opportunities on the 19th, of course, to to even walk through then. Well, thanks so much for all you do and all the efforts that you have undertaken to bring the wall that heals back in such a short amount of time and give us another chance to experience it, and also

Final Thanks And Closing

Richard Piet 26:38

for all you do in the community and your service.

Col Frank Walker 26:40

Thank you, Richard, for having us, and uh I thank the community for supporting us.

Dave Morgan 26:44

Yeah, thank you, Richard. Um, you're one of the Hall of Fame uh radio broadcasters, obviously, at our community, and you guys have done so much, and like I said before, I like you Ford, and it's the whole community coming together to make our community better.

Richard Piet 26:58

That's what what we're all doing, Colonel Frank Walker, Dave Morgan, the Calhoun County Red, White, Blue Foundation, and the Wall That Heals. Thanks for being with us.