Guns Up! [Mass Market Paperback]

Johnnie M. Clark (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 12, 1984

THIS GUT-WRENCHING FIRSTHAND ACCOUNT OF THE WAR IS A CLASSIC IN THE ANNALS OF VIETNAM LITERATURE.

"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.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

THIS GUT-WRENCHING FIRSTHAND ACCOUNT OF THE WAR IS A CLASSIC IN THE ANNALS OF VIETNAM LITERATURE.

"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.

About the Author

Johnnie M. Clark is a disabled veteran who lives with his wife and two children in St. Petersburg, Florida. After joining the Marine Corps at age seventeen, he served as a machine gunner with the famous 5th Marine Regiment in 1968 and was wounded three times. He was awarded the Silver Star for bravery. While recuperating in Okinawa, Mr. Clark studied karate as part of his rehabilitation program, and after his discharge, he taught martial arts at the University of South Florida. He is now a 6th Dan Master of tae kwan do and operates a tae kwan do school in St. Petersburg. Clark is also the author of Semper Fidelis, The Old Corps, No Better Way to Die, and the forthcoming Harlot's Cup. He is the recipient of the Brig. Gen. Robert L. Denig Memorial Distinguished Service Award for writing.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 357 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (June 12, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345315073
• ISBN-13: 978-0345315076
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (86 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,485,052 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You have to read this book!, June 1, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Portland Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Guns Up! (Mass Market Paperback)

I am the wife of a Vietnam Vet. I have read hundreds of books about War written by the men and women who were there. Though all of their stories are deserving of great respect some stand out like the North Star on a black night. "Guns Up" by Johnnie M. Clark is one of these outstanding books. This book takes you to war in Vietnam and it doesn't let you come back the same person. Read it.

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good First-Hand Account written by an M60 Gunner, August 31, 2000

By 

Borg9 "Borg9" (MD United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Guns Up! (Mass Market Paperback)

Johnnie Clark writes how dangerous it was to be an M60 gunner in Vietnam. When the cry, "Guns Up," was shouted down the line to him...it meant trouble. M60 gunners had a very high casualty rate, because the enemy would concentrate their fire on the most powerful gun to try and slience it. His unit suffered a very high casualty rate. Most of the men he served with, and some were very seasoned bush-soldiers indeed, were gunned down beside him. It's a miracle that Johnnie lived to tell his tale. This book was hard to put down.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent, gut-wrenching look at Marines in Vietnam, September 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Guns Up! (Mass Market Paperback)

I have read GUNS UP! several times and keep returning to it. I have read several accounts of Vietnam, but I keep returning to this one. The way that Mr. Clark is able to take his readers through the gamet of emotions and glories of comradeship felt by Marines in Vietnam makes this book a tribute to the men who fought and died when their country called - whether they believed in the war that they were called upon to fight or not, they were truly "forever faithful".