09 Feb 2000 To those who did not know him, you missed knowing a very special person. I only knew him about 3 months. Being in the Infantry in Vietnam was a strange situation. When you eat sleep and work just a few feet apart, almost never out of eyesight, 24 hours a day for weeks or months at a time, you become friends very fast. Clark Douglas was the medic in my platoon. He had the ability to be where he should be almost before he was needed. That is why, on the morning of November 11th 1969, when the firebase we were on came under heavy mortar attack and I heard men cry out "MEDIC", I knew something was wrong. A mortar round had hit very close to him while he was on the way to help his friends. I had heard talk of a medal but never knew. Thirty years later, I was reading a list of men who were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, his name was on it. I do not know what the Citation said or what happened, but it was not the first time he risked everything to help a friend. He will never be forgotten at my house. My friend Clark Douglas was a great American, a man who always did his job. Larry Touchstone, lwt52@bellsouth.net

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall Five men died in the attack on FSB Jerri on 11 Nov 1969: SP4 Clark R. Douglas, Corning, NY, C Co, 1st Bn, 5th Cav (Dist Svc Cross) SP4 Roger L. Tallman, Munising, MI, D Co, 1st Bn, 5th Cav PFC Harry J. Jackson, Pleasantville, NJ, HHC, 8th Eng Bn PFC Charles J. Keitt, New York, NY, B Co, 1st Bn, 5th Cav PFC Richard S. Leach, Springfield, OH, E Co, 1st Bn, 5th Cav The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS posthumously to CLARK R. DOUGLAS Specialist Four United States Army for service as set forth in the following CITATION: For extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam: Specialist Four Douglas distinguished himself while serving as a medical aidman at Fire Support Base Jerri in Phuoc Long Province. During the early morning hours of 11 November a massive enemy shelling broke the silence, raining destruction on the compound and inflicting severe casualties among the men manning the perimeter bunkers. Without hesitation, Specialist Douglas moved immediately from the safety of his bunker toward cries for assistance. Although thrown to the ground by the burst of an impacting round only meters from his position, he crawled persistently forward into the fusillade. As soon as he reached the first wounded man, he began rendering assistance in a calm, professional manner. Just then, an enemy mortar round struck the ground nearby, inflicting mortal wounds to Specialist Douglas. His extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty, at the cost of his life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army. Visit John Dennison's Medics on the Wall memorial which honors the Army Medics and Navy Corpsmen who died in Vietnam.

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