Johnnie Clark – Surviving One of the Deadliest Jobs During the Vietnam War | SRS #317
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.
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00:00 Welcome and Introduction
14:01 Growing Up in Poverty
26:20 Enlisting in the Marines
39:25 First Days in Vietnam
53:24 Meeting Big Red
01:09:51 The Battle of Troy Bridge
01:23:28 First Kill & Combat Reality
01:37:48 Mercy, Loss & Moral Injury
01:53:38 Rediscovering Valor Years Later
02:05:33 Back Into Combat
02:15:27 Dodge City Graveyard Ambush
02:30:51 Writing Gunner’s Glory
02:42:57 Race to the Last Gun
02:53:39 Breaking Point & Healing
03:09:36 Signs, Faith & Recovery
03:21:38 The Moral Spiral After War
03:32:13 Guardian Angels & Miracles
03:47:19 The Miracle of Guns Up
04:00:54 Finding Peace & Family
04:14:46 Firing the M60 Again
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Popped in to ask when will the Candace interview drop?
When is Candace’s interview dropping?
It’s great to see these soldiers from Vietnam being able to tell their stories!!! They have went decades not telling their feelings. They came home and were meant to feel bad about what they did. They all should have been celebrated and the politicians should have been drug across the coals!
I hope to see more of these Vietnam soldiers on podcasts because there aren’t many left to be able to tell their history!!
traitorshawn doesnt even know about hue , this isn’t newscum you are talking to
I don’t think the way Israel is being ran and there ideas of what they want to do are not what is foretold by god
Great great show this vet got me in my emotions also with the mercy kill an the dude bringing her ID card back
Total fruitcake😂
Shoutout from Charleston, WV!
You should reach out to Chuck Holton to have on the show, he’s a former 75th army ranger who deployed to Panama for Operation Just Cause. He’s an author, war correspondent, independent conflict reporter, and a born again christian. He has a channel in which he does daily lives on current conflicts, many of which are boots on ground. He is extremely dedicated to giving a truthful, educated account of current conflicts and events. I highly recomend you check him out.
It takes 2 weeks to release an interview now? He’s obviously not going to air it. Guess he’s slop also
Man it’s a great interview if only YouTube wouldn’t have an ad literally every 5 minutes. Took me an extra hour to just mow the lawn cause I was always having to pick up my phone to skip ads. Must be YouTubes way of forcing sales, “have a bunch of ads till they get pissed and finally by premium”.😂😂😂
Thanks for your service guys for real.
Crazy how much he’s like Mr Ballen
I’m convinced we can’t die, til God says so. Died once briefly at 17 it’s not scary. Many times over been snatched away from death I’m even widowmaker survivor, nice try satan stooges, lol😅 Rest assured God is always with you.
“hero at ruby ridge”…………..
Great interview
Ive lived in Florida 67years, it’s amazing how many great people made this state a part of there life! Thank you sir for your service 🙏🏼
So this is already a few episodes released after seeing that Candace went on the show and it’s still not released? What happened? Another one of those “I smell bullshit so I didn’t release the episode” like that Epstien girl episode?
35:50 you know how many immigrants are grateful and do serve. But when you hear of veterans getting deported is insane
That shit actually made me tear up when he said the marine that was pissing himself scared, and didn’t want to go home until his brothers came home… that’s was being brave is all about
I really wish Shawn had the same level trigger discipline when he speaks to all these Christians and, worse Priests!! All this “Holy Shit, You’re Fucking Kidding Me!” shit is so disrespectful and for as much as he thinks he’s a christian, he needs to be more Christ like. I mean, I’m no saint, and swear like a longshoreman myself but at least I respect others I’m talking to that might be religious.
My girlfriend of 3 years has a grandfather who was a door gunner in Vietnam. Came back home to end up as a principal in a school, really great guy. He talks about his service and it sounded like absolute hell. These guys are legends!
It’s weird how prior generations can point you to making life changing decisions. All my uncles on my mom’s side were in WWII and my dad was airborne in WWII. He had kids late in life. My brothers and sisters went into the Navy. After a bought of being a crazy young man moving to the Cascade Mountains from Detroit and working on a cattle ranch while living on a small horse ranch. Crushing boulders and Building roads in the mountains and a little logging – I met a man who was an officer in the US Army in Vietnam and did a couple tours. I went home and joined the Army lol.
Every SRS Nam episode is a MUST WATCH, even if 4 hours! lol, longer the better
The only hero at ruby ridge was Randy weaver! 💯🇺🇸
I really am happy from the reaction that the old man had receiving his pistol just the genuine happiness and appreciation. Way to go Shawn for making an old nam vet that happy and making his day. Keep the nam vets coming love the sog guys however see if you can find a tunnel rat you don’t see or hear many of them doing podcast I watched a short video of a tunnel rat and if you could interview him oh yeah from stories I’ve heard about them he matches right up crazy as hell you can see it in his eyes. However I’m not sure if ppl would really like the real truth about war and what happened and ppl did like taken pics of shit that would get you in big ass trouble this day and age how the dude talked about cutting the enemies ears off like a trophy necklace. If you look tunnel rat interviews up on YouTube he’s wearing a floppy hat and does the interview at his kitchen table and you see all the med bottles on the table. Those dudes just were crazy before and definitely after.
@Shawn Ryan Show, My heart is filled with empathy for Johnnie Clark, Shawn Ryan and all who have served and survived the most horrific real-life war experiences. I am in tears listening; hearing and seeing the pain that will never go away. May God bless and keep you and your loved ones, Johnnie Clark. With sincere respect, Gold Star daughter of 1st Lt. Robert C. Keller II who served in Hue and Phu Bai, Army Corps of Engineers, OV-1 Mohawk pilot, husband and father of two toddlers – killed in action October 16, 1966. I watch and listen with love, honor and respect. 🙏✨🙏
This guy looks great for his age.
I was 20 numbers away from being drafted and sent to Vietnam. Guessing he’s 76 -/+ yrs old.
When does the Candace Owens drop
Oohrah devil dog. Paris Island was still a shit hole in 2015 😂
I have been out for about 5 years, we never had chits, and we definitely did the O course
This is the best program in a long time! I was greatly impacted by GUNS UP! when I read it in 1984. I still have it. It’s a keeper and so is Johnnie Clark.
It tickles me to hear him giggle like child about his new gun❤
My dad was a Vietnam Marine and when I was young maybe 11 years old I asked my dad what Vietnam was like being a kid I didnt know any better and all he said was “get in the truck” he didnt say a word the whole way my mind was racing wondering what id done wrong and where we were going. When we pulled into the barns and Nobel parking lot I was so confused because my dad wasn’t a big book worm he was the tough dont cry or youll get a real reason to cry old school John Wayne type so when he got back in the truck he handed me a book and told me to read it cover to cover and that was my anwser. So thats what I did and then I read it again I read it so many times the pages started to come out the book he handed me was GUNS UP!. He lost his battle to mental health in 2010 due to what we can only guess is not having a way to deal with the demons he came home with. I still have that book thank you for your service and thank you for writing it. Seeing this episode pop up really made my day this was absolutely awesome thank you both.
10 more hours its gonna be demonitized glad im here for full thing
So her head was split open and you can “see her brains” and she’s gasping.. then you put “one or two” 5.56 rounds in her to “mercy kill” her.
She STILL don’t die so then you as a gunner shot her gain with your 45cal? Half these stories sound made up. WOW
So they took WAR AWARDS away for hitting an officer??? That’s not a thing. Rank for sure.. but NOT an award you earned at WAR.
444⚓
I’ve always been an emotional guy. Sometimes I wish I wasn’t. I know I’m empathic. Every time I’m near someone sad, happy, mad whatever. I will pick up on the emotions of others. I hate to see people cry. Lots of times I will too. The times I just swallow really hard. I feel the the exact way you do brother. I can’t stand seeing how this world actually is. Sometimes I cry because of how these kids are treated and how people in general are. That you Shawn for every single thing you do. You sir are a warrior of God. Thank you
I’m not even through this one yet. But this is excellent.
A true Marine. Humble and tough. The story of the nurse was heartbreaking. To actually have to do that work would break me. This man is made of iron.
Dude just casually admitting to war crimes. F the US. The world would be a lot safer without you.
This guy thinks ruby ridge was a good thing. Screw him
Born in Florida, spent a lot of time in your neighborhood. I’m pretty grumpy about most of the folks coming here, but I’m glad to have you, Mr Clark. I hope you find sustained peace here. Jack Kerouac was there too.
Man, that was intense
Guns up was the first book about Vietnam I read back in the early 80s
jesus Shawn, do a little research why dont yea? i thought you knew the Vietnam War? Battle of Hugh? lol, no bro, that was an insult
Phenomenal interview 🙌
Driving from California to Tennessee listening to this banger … wishing I would have kept track of every time he said “gook” and “jap” 🤣 Seriously good stuff … these guys were 100% why I joined. Semper Fi 🏴☠️
He needs to have Neil deGrasse Tyson on.
Somebody on staff coughed up the ball Mr Ryan. The Vietnamese city of Hue is pronounced like “way”. I wouldn’t have allowed that to get through…
Just saying.
God planned for me to see this one.
Shawn. “Humility” was my word for this year but seems i’ve forgotten that lately. Thank you so much for having Johnnie tell his story. What a horrible and beautiful story it is.
Thank You, Father, for drawing my eyes to this video today. Thank you, Father God, for always tugging me back to your heart when i get lost or too far away. (giving the world 99% of my attention). I pray for you to strengthen those of us whom you have called, from the beginning of the world, to stand strong and lean in so much closer to you at this time. Let us use this time wisely. To God be all the glory. Forever and ever. Amen.