Johnnie Clark - Surviving One of the Deadliest Jobs During the Vietnam War | SRS #317

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.