“I thought, They have the look of veteran about them, and I have the look of wimpy about me.” (Video interview, 5:04)

Arthur B. Wiknik, Jr.

Arthur Wiknik in Vietnam [1969] War: Vietnam War, 1961-1975 Branch: Army Unit: Company A, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division Service Location: Fort Dix, New Jersey; Fort Polk, Louisiana; Fort Benning and Fort Gordon, Georgia; Vietnam Rank: Staff Sergeant Place of Birth: CT

Drafted into the Army and sent through Officer Candidate School, Staff Sergeant Arthur Wiknik arrived in Vietnam as a “shake and bake” sergeant, a squad leader with no combat experience. While he felt pressure to win the respect of men beneath him who had already served time in country, eventually, he won their allegiance by proving that his main goal was to keep them alive. This strategy became crucial during his participation in the infamous Battle of Hamburger Hill in May 1969. In his interview, he narrates the specific sights and sounds of the battle—as well as after, when the A Shau Valley came to resemble no-man’s-land.