Guns Up!
A Firsthand Account of the Vietnam War
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4.6 • 164 Ratings
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- $6.99
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
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.
Customer Reviews
Semper Fi! Written from the grunts viewpoint as only one who has been there can.
I’ve read quite a few books about Vietnam, from various perspectives, and this is far and away the best I’ve read. John Clark has that rare quality in an author whose writing voice transports the reader into combat with him. I was in both areas that John writes about, just south of Phu Bai, then we moved to An Hoa. I was a radio operator with 2nd Bn. 11th Marines, working with and for a Forward Observer calling in artillery fire missions for the grunts we were attached to. We were with 2/5 mostly, but went where we were told and where the need was greatest.
Sgt. Mike Metcalf
2nd Bn. 11th Marines
67-68-69
Couldn't put it down
Should be mandatory reading
Riveting
I've read between 50-60 books on US military history and this is one of the best. You'll feel like your a part of the action from the first page. As someone who considered military service while in ROTC from 2000-2001 I have the utmost respect for our fighting men; especially Marines. Thank you for sharing your story for the next generations of Americans.