#317 Johnnie Clark - Surviving One of the Deadliest Jobs During the Vietnam War
Johnny Clark, a decorated Vietnam War Marine machine gunner with the 5th Marines who was wounded three times and awarded the Silver Star, discusses his combat experiences, his bestselling memoir 'Guns Up,' spiritual encounters with God, and his post-war journey through martial arts and Christian faith that transformed his life after severe combat trauma.
Summary
Johnny Clark joined the Marine Corps at 17 from St. Petersburg, Florida, and arrived in Vietnam at 18 as an M60 machine gunner assigned to the 5th Marine Regiment during the Battle of Hue City. He was wounded three times (by mortar, grenade, and gunshot), earned the Silver Star, three Purple Hearts, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. Clark grew up in severe poverty in West Virginia after his father was disabled in a car accident, and he idolized his uncle who was a Marine.
Clark's most famous work, 'Guns Up,' was initially rejected by every major publisher for four years while he worked as a mailman and martial arts instructor. After removing profanity from the manuscript on religious conviction, four separate magazines simultaneously published excerpts from his manuscript that had been lost in their slush piles for four years. Random House then purchased it, and the book has remained in print for 42 years, becoming required reading at Marine Corps schools and on the Commandant's reading list. The book reunited him with families of fallen Marines, including finding the daughter of Frank Burris decades later, providing closure for those who never knew how their relatives died.
Clark's Vietnam experiences included remarkable combat moments: surviving 200 NVA soldiers passing within feet of his position while frozen in fear; engaging in hand-to-hand combat with an enemy soldier while 'In the Midnight Hour' played from the enemy's boombox that had been tuned to Armed Forces Radio; and witnessing the sacrifice of fellow Marines like Big Red (Richard Weaver) who heroically continued firing his machine gun despite being the obvious target, eventually receiving a Bronze Star 30 years after his death. He also participated in mercy killings of wounded enemy combatants and risked Marine lives to rescue a wounded female NVA soldier via helicopter.
After the war, Clark struggled with severe combat fatigue (later diagnosed as PTSD), lost his hair in one night, and faced a hostile reception home with protesters and signs saying 'No Marines or dogs allowed' in bars. He recovered through martial arts training in Okinawa under Grandmaster Shimabuku and later under Grand Master Park, eventually becoming an 8th Dan Grandmaster in Taekwondo with over 50 years of training. He taught hand-to-hand combat at West Point and the Naval Academy.
Clark experienced multiple spiritual miracles. The most significant occurred in 2004 on a mountain in North Carolina when, after asking God what he should learn, he became frozen mid-step on a hiking trail. An audible voice said 'Johnny, get out. I want you to walk a little further with me.' He continued hiking and discovered a plaque embedded in a boulder reading Psalm 121 ('I lift my eyes to the mountains, from where does my help come...'). This verse had been his favorite Bible verse of Medal of Honor recipient Mitchell Page, whose story about divine protection on Guadalcanal he had written years earlier without realizing the connection. The same verse appeared in a Missionary Ventures pamphlet that arrived at his house, in his previously published book, and was sung at his church the following Sunday—all confirming God's presence in his life.
Clark also shared host Sean Ryan's recent spiritual awakening in Sedona, where an elderly Vietnam Air Force veteran spoke directly to Ryan's internal struggle about child exploitation, gender ideology, and darkness in the world, revealing intimate thoughts Ryan hadn't vocalized. This encounter, combined with signs including the appearance of a man resembling his deceased friend Gabe O'Cardi at the resort, led Ryan to acknowledge God's reality and begin his own faith journey, with nearly every subsequent podcast guest discussing their faith in Jesus Christ.
Clark emphasized the importance of humility, faith, and trusting in God's plan rather than personal understanding, pointing to Bible prophecy about Iran, Russia, and Israel's future as confirmation that God controls world events. He discussed how writing 'Guns Up' without profanity, despite publisher pressure to include it, honored God and resulted in the book's unprecedented success. Clark also stressed the critical role of machine guns in Vietnam—not just as weapons but as communication devices and target markers—and the severe 7-10 second life expectancy of machine gunners under fire.
About this episode
Johnnie Clark is an American author and Vietnam Veteran, best known for his 1984 Vietnam War memoir Guns Up!. Many of his works fall into the genre of non-fiction military and contain a tough, no nonsense portrayal of combat, courage, and camaraderie. Mr. Clark joined the Marine Corps at 17 years of age after graduating from St. Petersburg High School. He served as a machine gunner with the famed 5th Marine Regiment during the Tet Offensive in Vietnam. He was wounded 3 times, mortar round, grenade, and gunshot. During his rehabilitation from gunshot wounds in Okinawa, Mr. Clark began training in Martial Arts as part of his rehab program. In 2015 Mr. Clark returned from Korea after testing for his 8th Dan in Tae Kwon Do. He was also promoted to 9th Dan in the Ji Do Kwan. Grandmaster Clark owns and operates Johnnie Clark Tae Kwon Do and Judo school in St. Petersburg and has been inducted into the U.S.A. Martial Arts Hall of Fame. Mr. Clark’s books, Guns Up! and Semper Fidelis, are recommended reading by Lt. Col. Madonna, former MCG, to all newly commissioned officers at The Basic School. His books have been required reading in many colleges and high schools around the country as well as the Commandant’s List of suggested reading for all Marines. Many commanders have distributed Mr. Clark’s books to our troops now fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. He is the recipient of the U.S. Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association Brigadier General Robert L. Denig Memorial Distinguished Service Award for writing. Mr. Clark has been awarded America’s 3rd highest medal for bravery and gallantry in combat, The Silver Star, 3 Purple Hearts, Vietnam’s highest Medal of Honor, The Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm, The Civil Action Combat Medal, The Marine Combat Ribbon among other decorations. Mr. Clark currently resides in St. Petersburg, Florida with his wife, Nancy, and dog, Gunner. Shawn Ryan Show Sponsors: Go right now to https://sundaysfordogs.com/SRS50 and get 50% off your first order. Or, you can use code SRS50 at checkout. Ready to upgrade your eyewear? Check them out at https://roka.com and use code SRS for 20% off sitewide. Our listeners get the Harry’s Plus Trial Set for only $10 at https://www.Harrys.com/SRS #Harryspod New customers get 15% off Ultra Pouches with code SRS at https://takeultra.com! #UltraPouches #ad Sign up for your $1 per month trial today at https://shopify.com/srs Johnnie Clark Links: FB - https://www.facebook.com/authorjohnnieclark IG - https://www.instagram.com/johnniemclark Website - https://johnnieclark.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Key Insights
- Clark joined the Marine Corps at 17 to escape West Virginia poverty and idolize his uncle, motivated by movies like 'Sands of Iwo Jima' that portrayed Marines as the best warriors.
- Machine gunners had a 7-10 second life expectancy in firefights because tracer rounds from the M60 made them visible targets, requiring discipline to use short bursts rather than sustained fire.
- Clark's manuscript 'Guns Up' was rejected by every major publisher for four years, but after he removed profanity on religious conviction, four separate magazines simultaneously published excerpts that had been lost in their slush piles for years.
- Random House purchased 'Guns Up' specifically because no one at the publisher noticed there was no profanity in a Vietnam War book, which was unprecedented in the genre.
- Clark participated in three-man killer teams designed to ambush NVA soldiers in villages and protect civilians from communist extortion and intimidation tactics.
- During a 17-day operation near the Cambodian border, Clark became frozen in place while hiding from 200 NVA soldiers passing within yards, a discipline learned at Parris Island that saved his life.
- While in hand-to-hand combat with an NVA soldier, Clark heard 'In the Midnight Hour' by the Young Rascals because the enemy had tuned a captured boombox to Armed Forces Radio Network, which played the song at midnight.
- Clark and his platoon risked multiple Marine lives to rescue a wounded female NVA soldier via helicopter despite her cursing at them, demonstrating commitment to medical care even for enemies.
- After the war, Clark experienced a complete breakdown crying on a flight to Sedona where he questioned whether he belonged in a world with child exploitation and satanic corruption.
- God audibly spoke to Clark on a North Carolina mountain in 2004, commanding him to 'walk a little further' before leading him to discover Psalm 121 on a plaque—the same verse from Medal of Honor recipient Mitchell Page's story he had written years earlier.
- Clark's spiritual awakening aligned with Sean Ryan's encounter with an elderly veteran who read Ryan's unexpressed thoughts about child abuse and darkness, convincing Ryan that God was speaking through the stranger.
- The number 444 appeared repeatedly in Sean Ryan's day (444 miles to empty, 4:44 PM, 4 hours 44 minutes after a guardian angel conversation) with Google confirming 444 means 'your guardian angels are watching over you.'
- Clark argues that Christians are under greater spiritual attack when they step out front in faith, unlike those 'on the sideline doing nothing' who Satan leaves alone.
- Clark was frozen mid-step on a mountain trail in 2004, unable to move in any direction for an unknown duration, before being released and hearing God's voice—a supernatural experience he compares to what happened to Mitchell Page on Guadalcanal.
- At age 76, Clark shot an M60 machine gun for the first time in 50 years and successfully hit a tannerite target from the hip while young Marine machine gunners with training and optics could not, demonstrating skill transcends age.
Topics
Transcript
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