Episode · The Shawn Ryan Show · 2026-06-29
Shawn Ryan & Johnnie Clark: books mentioned on The Shawn Ryan Show #317
#317 Johnnie Clark - Surviving One of the Deadliest Jobs During the Vietnam War
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.
Sean Ryan discussed Guns up! by Johnnie M. Clark and Semper Fidelis by Johnnie Clark. Johnnie Clark discussed Gunner's Glory by Johnnie Clark.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Guns up!
Discussed“You [snorts] have written nine books. An off Broadway played Guns Up and Guner's Glory are suggested reading at the Marine Corps School of Infantry and Guns Up sits on the command on the commandant reading list.”
Where to get it
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Semper Fidelis
Discussed“You [snorts] have written nine books. An off Broadway played Guns Up and Guner's Glory are suggested reading at the Marine Corps School of Infantry and Guns Up sits on the command on the commandant reading list.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (12) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
Plugged Guns up!
“I wrote Guns Up out of anger. Uh, you know, when I came home from NAM”
Plugged Guns up!
“And uh but I had a a real purpose for writing Guns Up and I I I mean I I had an inspiration”
Plugged Guns up!
“Cuz that's how I wrote Guns Up really. I I only wrote it for my kids.”
Plugged Guns up!
“Well, uh – [clears throat] I – – when I first got there, you know, when we – we got the fooai right before we went up to to around way, – there was one guy in this big tent where we came into and – and he was coming back from the hospital.”
Plugged Guns up!
“So – and and but the army had they had the buckshot blooper rounds and they they had blooper rounds that would be like a flare and – I forgot what else they had – but – so our blooper man who was insane I called him Sam the blooper man in Guns Up and he's he's a big favorite”
Plugged Guns up!
“Zippity-d – 30 years later when people read what he did in my book in Guns Up, – a congressman and a – a good friend, a couple of good friends of his that went to – to high school with him, – caused a stir and they finally gave him the Bronze Star.”
Plugged Guns up!
“I got him – I called him Jackson in the book, but I didn't remember his real name, but he was – he always smiled and he was big white teeth boy.”
Plugged Guns up!
“I'm still hearing the Young Rascals in the midnight hour. And all of a sudden, there's – there's a guy on top of me.”
Plugged Guns up!
“He's in that – he's in Guns Up. There's a picture of him holding the flag from Weey City. – uh it'll come to me.”
Plugged Gunner's Glory
“I – I was writing a book called Gunner's Glory. This one. – It's – it's about machine gunners from World War II, Korea, Vietnam. Incredible machine gun. Some, you know, some great Marines.”
Plugged No better way to die
“Yeah, but he's in – uh No Better Way to Die. I put a lot of stuff about him.”
Plugged Guns up!
“You about Troy Bridge out of a book called Guns Up.”