Peter Sweda was my friend and neighbor. I first met him around 1991 when he found my wallet while on a routine walk around the condominium buildings we lived in. We chatted briefly and soon determined that we had common outlooks and experiences, including war service – his in World War Two, mine in Vietnam. Over the years we talked quite a bit about many things, including our war experiences. We might have spoken about them more thoroughly than with others.
At his interment ceremony, one of his relatives said he wanted to talk to me afterwards about Peter’s war experiences. By the close of the ceremony several other people, friends and relatives, made the same request. It dawned on me. Peter had never told anyone about the war, except me, and he told them to talk to me after he died. A great honor, in my view.
© 2013 Brian M Downing