Friday Interview: Cold War Hot Spot Checkpoint Charlie Remembered

RALEIGH — The Berlin Wall served as the clearest sign of the Cold War that divided East and West for decades after World War II. Vern Pike, a retired Army colonel who now lives in North Carolina, served as the first officer in charge of Checkpoint Charlie the night the Berlin Wall went up in 1961. He’s written a book titled Checkpoint Charlie: Hot Spot of the Cold War. Pike shared themes from the book with Mitch Kokai for Carolina Journal Radio.