Arthur Wiknik, Jr. Arthur Wiknik, Jr. served in Vietnam with Co. A 2/506th of the 101st Airborne Division as an infantry squad leader from April 1969 to March 1970.  He was one of the first in his unit to safely reach the top of Hamburger Hill during the final assault.  A few months later, he prevented a possible attack on a remote firebase by discovering a nearby enemy weapons cache.       Arthur's writing credits include stories in Chicken Soup for the Brother and Sister Soul, Chicken Soup for the Mother and Son Soul, Chicken Soup for the Father and Daughter Soul and Chicken Soup for the Veteran’s Soul books.  He has also had articles in Army, Soldier of Fortune, Players, North American Whitetail, Rural New England and Heading Out magazines.     Proud of his military service, Arthur gives talks at schools, colleges and civic organizations about his Vietnam experiences.  A dedicated community volunteer, Arthur is a 16-year member of the Haddam Memorial Day Parade Committee, is a founding member of the Haddam Veteran's Museum and is a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.     Arthur lives in Connecticut and works as a Quality Engineer.  He is available for book signings and to give presentations on his Vietnam War experiences.

Youmilitary - Did Hollywood portray the battle of hill 937 better known as Hamburger Hill in a realistic light?
 
Arthur- Any war movie can be picked apart but I would say that the Hamburger Hill film was 50% accurate.  The movie did not focus on the historical aspect but rather on a small group of soldiers in the battle.  There are three issues that stick out in my mind.  1. The soldiers wore a subdued 101st shoulder patch, we wore the brightly colored patch.  2. During every assault, the soldiers wore a back pack that more closely resembled a fanny pack.  Grunts carried a heavy rucksack but no one wore them during the assaults.  3. The sign at the end of the movie read "Welcome To Hamburger Hill."  The original sign was quite different.  A photo of it is on the www.506infantry.org web site.  Overall, I liked the movie.

Youmilitary - How was the moral of the troops during the battle and after the battle of hill 937?
 
Arthur - When my unit arrived, the battle had been going on for eight days.  Morale for us was nervously high.  However, for the guys from the 3/187th who took part in the daily assaults, their morale was quite low.  One soldier I spoke with briefly started to sob over his lost friends.  After the battle, I think guys were just glad that it was over.  No one cheered or made any macho victory stances.  Everyone at the Grunt level was too tired, hungry, sweaty and dirty to think about the significance of the battle.

Youmilitary - I know there was little personal time during the battle but if any what did the men do during their down time?
 
Arthur - Since both opposing forces knew where everyone was, this was primarily a daytime operation.  My unit spent 1 1/2 days just getting into position for the final assault.  When not on the move we would sit for hours and do nothing except to carefully watch the jungle for enemy movement.  Some guys would catch a short nap or bullshit quietly.  At night, we were on 50% alert and got very little sleep.  Everyone's sense of imminent danger was heightened dramatically as compared to the relatively light patrols we were used to performing before being sent to assist in the battle.  

Youmilitary - Was friendly fire as big as a problem as portrayed and if so, what was the reason for this?
 
Arthur - There was no friendly fire incidents while I was there.  However, in Samuel Zafferi's book on the battle, there were 3-4 incidents that took the lives of several US soldiers.

Youmilitary - How fierce and what kind of tactics where used by the NVA during the battle?
 
Arthur - The enemy we faced was NVA (North Vietnamese Army).  These guys were dug in and very tenacious.  They were not going to give up or run away.  I think their goal was to inflict as many US casualties as possible and perhaps some of them believed they might earn a victory.  The NVA had the high ground so they were able to throw grenades down at us and also had a better view for shooting at us than we had for shooting at them. 

Youmilitary - What types of similarities can you draw from the battle and Vietnam compared to the modern warfare against terrorism that is being fought today?
 
Arthur - In my mind, there is nothing to compare.  The American people were already tired of the war by the time Hamburger Hill came along and they were not being threatened like we are today.

Youmilitary- What life long experiences can you take away from being involved in such a bloody battle?
 
Arthur - After what happened to me, God is real.  Other than that, I am proud to have been a participant in a historic event and I am very proud to have served alongside men who were much braver than me.  There was a famous quote from the Vietnam War that sums up how most veterans feel:  "You have never lived until you almost died.  For those who fought for it, live has a flavor the protected will never know."

Youmilitary - Have you revisited the sight of the battle and if so what emotions ran through you at the time?
 
Arthur - I have not visited Vietnam since I left in 1970 and I have no desire to see it again.  However, I do enjoy seeing old Vietnam photos and film footage.

Youmilitary - Nobody can ever know unless they where there, what type of heroism and actions that took place during the battle, if you could sum up the battle in one word what would it be?
 
Arthur - There is no one word to describe the battle or the bravery of the men who fought there.  I cannot say that I witnessed any heroism but I will tell you that I saw men doing things that I would not do.  For instance, when we began the final assault, there were GI's far ahead of me leading the way.  That was a place I did not want to be.  Also, while many of us were initially pinned down, I saw guys running and firing as they advanced on the enemy.