FORKS — For Peter and Anja Frijns, visiting Forks — the tiny Washington town they had often read about — was a dream come true.
The couple, who hail from the Netherlands, tend to the grave of 1st Lt. Walt Fletcher, who died in World War II, at Margraten Cemetery near their home.
“Holland is the only country that I know of that the citizens voluntarily take care of graves of American soldiers,” said Bert Fletcher, Walt Fletcher’s nephew who lives in Port Angeles.
Their efforts were celebrated through several meet-and-greet dinners throughout their 10-day visit, and the couple were asked to ride in the Forks Old-Fashioned Fourth of July Grand Parade primary float.
“It was incredible,” Peter Frijns said.
“People were saying thank you and saluting and honking.”
After sending for his formal military file, the couple discovered he had lived in Forks and ultimately decided to visit the hometown of the man they had already begun to consider a hero.
The pair tends to the graves of three American soldiers — one they know nothing about, and the other’s family has requested no contact.
“Some families just want to forget what happened,” Peter Frijns said.
“They want to leave it. The family told us they just wanted to let him rest in peace now.”
But Forks was another story. Since contacting locals in the area as well as Fletcher’s surviving relatives, the couple has been embraced as part of the community.
The 3,800 or so graves at Margraten Cemetery in the Netherlands have so many people wanting to tend to the graves that there is a waiting list.
When the Frijnses decided to care for a grave — a tradition that both of their parents had begun — they had to wait several months before being assigned one.
The couple were assigned Walter A. Fletcher’s grave in 2004, Peter Frijns said.
When they decided to visit Forks for this year’s Independence Day celebration, they learned more than expected, they said.
“Now we know a whole lot about this Walt Fletcher,” Peter Frijns said.
Walt Fletcher, who was 31 when he died, was a longtime Forks resident, Bert Fletcher, Walt’s nephew, said.
Walt Fletcher, a graduate of Washington State University, was married to a woman named Helen who taught first grade at Forks Elementary School.
The two were married only a few years before Walt was sent to the war, Bert Fletcher said.
Fletcher was killed in a battle near Estedt, Germany.
A history book that Bert Fletcher owns states that on April 15, 1945, Fletcher was killed while leading an assault that annihilated the enemy but was killed himself in the process.
Bert Fletcher said that further research revealed that Walt was killed by a sniper.
Peter and Anja Frijns said their experience — their first visit to the United States — was life-changing.
“When we started doing this, we thought it was a very little thing we could do for the soldiers who fought for us — if it weren’t for them all of us in Holland might be speaking German instead,” Peter said.
“But when we came here and we saw how important it was to all of these people in Forks, we found that it is a very big thing to the people here.
“It was very emotional for me — and for Anja — to meet them all.”
The pair said they hope to return to the United States and to Forks for a visit.
“We will be back to visit,” Anja said.
She said they hope to bring their son Timo, 21, who is in South Africa.
“I’m sure that when we are old and grumpy, Timo will continue caring for Walt’s grave,” Peter said.
And when they go home Wednesday, the couple plan to make Walter Fletcher’s grave their first stop .
“We will go there first instead of home,” Anja said.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
