Something truly special

By Samuel Gravel, 2023

Published 2/2/2023

 On Wednesday December 14th, 2022 students from Mrs. Knott’s “The Vietnam War” class gathered in Cheshire High School’s auditorium to witness the presence of Sergeant Arthur Wiknik. Witnik served as a squad leader during his time deployed in Vietnam in 1969, and shared his experiences to Mrs. Knott’s students.

Part of the curriculum of Mrs. Knott’s class covers a historic battle nicknamed “Hamburger Hill,” and students watched a documentary on this topic. This documentary highlighted Sgt. Arthur Wiknik and the courage he showed during the battle. After viewing this documentary, Mrs. Knott was extremely excited to reveal that Sgt. Wiknik was going to be coming to Cheshire High School. 

On the day Sgt. Wiknik came to Cheshire High School, students were both anxious and thrilled to meet a real life hero. During Sgt. Wiknik's presentation he shared about his experiences during his time in combat, and answered questions asked by the students. At times, the stories could be shocking. 

One of the highlights from the presentation was when Sgt. Wiknik told the story of his arrival home from Vietnam. Students were in awe hearing about his story and the true connection between a mother and her son.

Everyone in the auditorium experienced a truly special event, and Sgt. Wiknik cannot be thanked enough for volunteering his time to share his story.