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Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: Vietnam War, 1961-1975
  • Branch of Service: Navy
  • Unit of Service: VF-211 (Fighter Squadron), USS Hancock (CVA 19); VFP-62 (Light Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron), USS Randolph and USS Intrepid; VF-126 (Instrument Training Squadron)
  • Location of Service: Great Lakes, Illinois; Newport, Rhode Island; Pensacola, Florida; Jacksonville, Florida; San Diego, California; Pacific Ocean; Vietnam; Mexico City, Mexico; Washington, DC
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/27168

View full service history

"That little trip cost me just about 2428 days, 18 hours, 35 minutes...as a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam" (Audio Interview, 9:53)

After enlisting at the age of 17 in 1950, Cole Black spent over 35 years in the Navy--6 years and 9 months of that as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam. Black received his wings in February of 1957 and did two tours of duty over Southeast Asia. Ten days before the end of his second tour, he was shot down and captured. Black endured torture, moves to several camps, and a march through the streets of Hanoi during which he and his fellow prisoners were attacked. Released in 1973, Black spent another 13 years in various posts stateside before retiring on July 1, 1986.

Cole Black Collection
Interview / Recording

Transcript

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About this Item

Title

  • Cole Black Collection

Names

  • Veterans History Project
  • Black, Cole
  • Mit-Chelle, Sandra
  • Library of Congress

Home State

  • California

Headings

  • -  Black, Cole
  • -  Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Navy.
  • -  Prisoner of War -- United States

Repository

  • Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Gender

  • Male

Race

  • White

Status

  • veteran

Service History

  • Vietnam War, 1961-1975

    • Branch of Service: Navy
    • Unit of Service: VF-211 (Fighter Squadron), USS Hancock (CVA 19); VFP-62 (Light Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron), USS Randolph and USS Intrepid; VF-126 (Instrument Training Squadron)
    • Location of Service: Great Lakes, Illinois; Newport, Rhode Island; Pensacola, Florida; Jacksonville, Florida; San Diego, California; Pacific Ocean; Vietnam; Mexico City, Mexico; Washington, DC
    • Highest Rank: Captain
    • Dates of Service: 1950-1986
    • Prisoner of War: Yes
    • Entrance into Service: Enlisted
    • Military Status: veteran
    • Service History Note: The veteran was shot down over North Vietnam on 06/21/1966 and released on 02/12/1973.

Materials

  • Audio: CD [1 item] -- Reference copy (collected 2005-05-26; 2010-12-16)
  • Manuscript: Transcript [1 item] -- Transcription of audio recording (collected 2005-05-26)
  • Manuscript: Biographical information [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 2005)
  • Audio: Audio Cassette [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2005-05-26)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/27168

Cite as

  • Cole Black Collection (AFC/2001/001/27168), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Online Format

  • audio
  • online text
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

Using VHP Material in Publication or Exhibition

The Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans who served from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service. The Veterans History Project Collection includes oral histories along with documentary materials such as original letters, diaries, photographs, and memoirs.

Veterans and interviewers contribute these materials to the Library for scholarly and educational purposes, retaining any copyright they may hold. Therefore, permission must be obtained before using the interview or other materials in exhibition or publication. Researchers or others who would like to make further use of these materials should contact the Veterans History Project for assistance.

As a publicly supported institution, the Library generally does not own rights to material in its collections. Therefore, it does not charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot give or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute material in its collections. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item from the Library’s collections and for securing any necessary permissions rests with persons desiring to use the item.

Please contact us with questions.

Obtaining Copies of VHP Materials

In order for VHP materials to be duplicated, we must receive written permission from the interviewee for you to obtain a copy of the recording unless the proposed use is limited to personal use, research, or other uses permissible by copyright law. If the interviewee is deceased, their next-of-kin may grant written permission.

Please contact VHP for assistance if you need to contact a veteran for permission to use their materials in exhibition or publication, or if you have received permission from the veteran and need access to high-resolution copies of VHP collection materials.

Citing VHP Materials

Please use the following formats when citing Veterans History Project materials (substituting the appropriate name and collection ID number).

Materials as a whole:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Manuscript material:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Memoirs (MS02), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Transcript (MS04), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Correspondence (MS01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Recording:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Audio recording (SR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Video recording (MV01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Photograph:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH01), photographer unknown, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH03-PH14), Ralph Williams photographer, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Computer file:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Computer file (CF01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Artifact:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Artifact (AR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Veterans History Project, Cole Black, Sandra Mit-Chelle, and Library Of Congress. Cole Black Collection. 1950. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.27168/.

APA citation style:

Veterans History Project, Black, C., Mit-Chelle, S. & Library Of Congress. (1950) Cole Black Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.27168/.

MLA citation style:

Veterans History Project, et al. Cole Black Collection. 1950. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.27168/>.