THE WALL OF FACES

Peter was my first cousin. When we were little boys we used to play together when ever we visited each other. I always thought of him as my older brother because I am an only child and we were very close in age. Whenever I visited my Uncle, Peter's father, in New York Peter would always be there. We did the most fun things together, like take pictures and develop them in my Uncle's dark room in his house, or go sailing on my Uncle's boat or play with his chemistry set or just be with each other and talk. We always talked at night in his room before we went to sleep. Peter was very smart and very insightful, although at the time I didn't realize it. When I moved to Cape Cod I didn't see Peter so much. He came to the Cape to visit us a few times. Of course we had the same grandparents so he came to visit them also. My grandparents loved him very much because he was such a good kid. Shortly after we moved to the Cape Peter went to Tufts College. He did his undergraduate work there and then went to Yale Medical School and became a doctor. My Uncle wanted him to become a doctor and wasn't very interested in financing any other type of education. Peter loved to write and probably wanted to be an english professor. He wrote short stories and poems and some of them were printed in a book by the Yale University Press. When Peter was killed in Vietnam it was the most devastating experience of my life. My Uncle was totally devastated and I believe never recovered from the shock of Peter's death. He had put a lot of effort into nuturing Peter and teaching him and had very high hopes and expectations for much success for Peter. Peter was on his way to greatness when his life was summarily and tradgically ended. To this very day I still cry when I think of what could have been if Peter had lived. I cry because I miss him and have for the last 31 and 1/2 years. I still have the letters he wrote me and he kept my letters as well. His widow gave me copies about a year ago. I read them once in a while. God bless you Pete and I always will remember you and think of you. Love, Vic