The Life of Walpole Resident Nicholas Conaxis, including Viet Nam, to be Presented on Tuesday

The following is taken from the Walpole Public Library events calendar.

On Tuesday, Sept. 10, at 7:30 p.m., the Walpole Historical Society will present, "Twelve Days in Viet Nam: The Life and Death of Nicholas Conaxis."

Nick led a difficult life. He was born in Lawrence, MA and grew up in foster homes in and around Rowley, MA. In 1961 he moved to Longview Farm for Boys in Walpole and lived there until 1965, when he graduated from Walpole High School. He made many friends during those years. They remember him warmly as a friendly, funny, sensitive, and mischievous person.  One of his friends called him "a character all day long.”  

After a year in a preparatory school, Nick went to college but dropped out in1966. He then traveled and was eventually drafted into the army in September 1967. During his six months in military training he wrote forty thoughtful letters criticizing military life, the war, and social conformity.  

His letters from Vietnam showed concern for the Vietnamese children, the people, and the land around him. 

Nick led and overcame a hard life. He reached out to people and wrote honest and sensitive letters under extreme conditions.