Johnnie Clark - Surviving One of the Deadliest Jobs During the Vietnam War | SRS #317
Johnny Clark, a Vietnam War veteran and Marine Corps machine gunner, shares his combat experiences, spiritual journey, and the miraculous publishing history of his bestselling memoir 'Guns Up.' Through vivid storytelling, he recounts specific firefights, character-building relationships with fellow Marines, and profound encounters with God that shaped his post-war life.
Summary
Johnny Clark joined the Marine Corps at 17 and arrived in Vietnam at 18 as an M60 machine gunner with the Fifth Marines, experiencing multiple combat tours during the height of the Vietnam War. He describes the brutal realities of being a machine gunner—a position with a 7-10 second life expectancy in firefights due to being the primary target for enemy forces. Throughout his service, he witnessed extraordinary acts of heroism from fellow Marines like Big Red and Corporal Hudson, participated in dangerous three-man killer teams and ambushes, and survived three wounds earning three Purple Hearts and a Silver Star.
Clark details specific combat operations including the Battle of Hue City, Troy Bridge, and the graveyard operation where he engaged in hand-to-hand combat, saved a wounded NVA girl's life at great risk, and participated in mercy killings of wounded enemy combatants. These experiences, combined with witnessing the treatment of Vietnam veterans upon returning home (protests, discrimination, bars refusing service to Marines), motivated him to write 'Guns Up' out of anger to set the record straight about Marine activities in Vietnam.
The book's publication story is presented as miraculous: after four years of rejection from major publishers, Clark removed profanity from the manuscript following spiritual conviction. Within one month of completing the rewrite, nine publishers—including Random House—suddenly wanted the book. Four separate magazines simultaneously discovered previously rejected stories in their slush piles after four years. Clark attributes this to honoring God, citing the verse 'For those who honor God, God will honor.'
Clark also shares a profound spiritual experience in North Carolina in 2004 where he encountered God's physical presence—being frozen in place on a mountain trail twice, hearing an audible voice directing him, and discovering a plaque with Psalm 121 (his favorite verse) embedded in a boulder he'd never seen before. This experience was confirmed through multiple subsequent encounters with the same Bible verse arriving in his mailbox, in church services, and in a book sent by a stranger.
He credits his faith, relationship with Jesus Christ, and his best friend Chan (who became a leading cardiovascular perfusion expert) with surviving and healing from combat trauma. Clark contrasts his experience with the host Sean Ryan's recent spiritual awakening, emphasizing trust in God's plan rather than anxiety about world events. The interview concludes with Clark and Ryan discussing their continued reliance on weapons for security, the importance of Bible study with grandchildren, and the ongoing spiritual battles faced by those standing up for Christian values.
Key Insights
- Machine gunners in Vietnam had a 7-10 second life expectancy once firefights started because they were the primary target—their tracer rounds marked their exact position, and enemy doctrine prioritized eliminating the machine gun first, making it the deadliest position on the battlefield.
- Clark wrote 'Guns Up' out of anger because Americans believed Marines were killing women and children in Vietnam, and he wanted to set the record straight about what the Marines actually did, but the book became a miracle when he removed profanity after spiritual conviction and nine publishers suddenly wanted it within a month.
- During a mountain encounter in 2004, Clark experienced being physically frozen in place by God twice—first learning about humility, then being directed to continue hiking where he found Psalm 121 embedded in a boulder he'd never seen before, which became confirmation of God's existence and care.
- Clark believes Christians should not anxiously worry about world events like China, Iran, or cultural issues because biblical prophecy already describes these outcomes—God is sovereign and has the plan written out in Scripture, so believers should trust rather than fret.
- Big Red (Richard Weaver) was a hero at Troy Bridge who fired continuously despite being the obvious target, refusing to stop shooting even though every NVA soldier tried to kill him—he deserved the Medal of Honor but received nothing until 30 years later when readers of 'Guns Up' brought attention to his actions.
Topics
Transcript
[0:05] Johnny Clark, welcome to the show. >> Thank you, Sean. I'm I'm really excited about it. I It's a great honor. >> It's my honor. Thank you for being here. You know, I say this to all you guys, but you know, the the the the Vietnam generation is is what motivated me to join the military and and do what I did. And I was just infatuated with you guys from a very young age and uh really into G.I. Joe's as we'll get into later. [0:37] >> I got a story about G. >> I've heard I've heard and um but uh but yeah, it's truly an honor for you to be here. And I was a…
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