Johnnie Clark

Guns up!" was the battle cry that sent machine gunners racing forward with their M60s to mow down the enemy, hoping that this wasn't the day they would meet their deaths. Marine Johnnie Clark heard that the life expectancy of a machine gunner in Vietnam was seven to ten seconds after a firefight began. Johnnie was only eighteen when he got there, at the height of the bloody Tet Offensive at Hue, and he quickly realized the grim statistic held a chilling truth.

The Marines who fought and bled and died were ordinary men, many still teenagers, but the selfless bravery they showed day after day in a nightmarish jungle war made them true heroes. This new edition of Guns Up!, filled with photographs and updated information about those harrowing battles, also contains the real names of these extraordinary warriors and details of their lives after the war. The book's continuing success is a tribute to the raw courage and sacrifice of the United States Marines.… (meer)

I've read Johnnie Clark's first book, "Guns-Up" maybe about twenty years ago and loved it and was surprised when I saw "Semper Fidelis" offered by the same author and quickly downloaded it. I wasn't disappointed!

This is a story about three high-school friends who join the Marines on the buddy plan right after graduation. It's 1967 and Shawn is the main character. All three end up in Vietnam, in fact, Shawn and Luke went to the same squad in the 5th Marines and were quickly assigned as the Machine gunner and assistant. Their other friend, Joe went to another unit.

Right from the start, both are alienated and basically ignored by their fellow squad members and it didn't take long before the call for "guns-up" echoed through the line of soldiers when the enemy was spotted. Shawn was quite religious and soon befriended the division chaplain. The platoon is guided by a North American Indian sergeant referred as "The Chief" and a formidable lieutenant as they hump endlessly through the jungles looking for the elusive enemy. The author's writing made me feel as if I was right there with the platoon - characters are well developed and readers will chose their favorites as time goes on. As the lunar New Year (TET) arrived, readers follow the platoon to Hue where they participate in house-to-house fighting and learn of the atrocities by the communists.

After six months, the three friends meet in Australia for R&R that doesn't work out quite the way they intended. Nevertheless, they all return to Vietnam refreshed and renewed for the second half of their tour. It is a difficult time for all of them - they've already been wounded twice and one more time was an automatic trip out of the war. However, their exit may not be as they hoped. They patrol through the An Hoa Valley, Khe Sahn, Phu Bai, and finally in the "Arizona Territory" for a showdown at "Dodge City" where firefights become the norm every day and night.

Johnnie Clark also shows readers what it was like when veterans returned from Vietnam. Protestors met the Marines upon their arrival in the U.S. - shocking most as they were blamed for everything that happened during the war. It was an extremely difficult time for all. This is a book that everyone should read to get an understanding of what these young men experienced and the sacrifices they endured.

Johnnie Clark - thank you for this story...thank you for your service...Welcome Home!

John Podlaski, author
"Cherries - A Vietnam War Novel" and "When Can I Stop Running?"… (meer)

A book which I hadn't heard of beforehand but was well written and told a fast paced story of a 17yr old's Vietnam tour of duty. Humorous, tragic and detailed with excellent dialogue, this book about US Marines in I Corp is somewhat jargon filled but there is a glossary at the end. I've learned a lot about Life from Vietnam memoirs. This is a good one. Clark was an infantryman carrying an M-60 machine gun. Not enamored with the Green Berets or the rear echelon troops, or the 101st, Clark does not hold back on the Marine culture either. I wanted the book to be longer but it was sad enough at its current length. There was an interesting squad member of Clark's named Chan who provides a biblical perspective on life and war. This is unusual for a Vietnam memoir.… (meer)