Patterson man was hero in Vietnam

As the country celebrates the United States’ independence this weekend, heroes who defended the country’s freedom are often remembered. Bobby Clark is certainly among those heroes.
Clark, 66, a Patterson resident and U.S. Navy veteran, was awarded a Bronze Star Medal by the President for his heroic actions as a fireman apprentice during the Vietnam War. Clark is a New Orleans native and lives with his wife, Linda, in Patterson.
According to documents provided by Clark, he received the honor for his “heroic achievement while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in armed conflict against the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong communist aggressors in the Republic of Vietnam.”
The commendation is signed by Rear Admiral R.S. Salzer, the commander of U.S. Naval Forces in Vietnam.
On the night of June 2, 1971, while serving with Naval Support Activity Detachment, Repair, Berthing and Messing Barge Two One, as the duty boat engineer, Clark was alerted to his landing craft, as his parent vessel came under attack from an estimated fifty-man North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong force, the letter says.
He maneuvered his craft into position 100 yards from the Mekong River’s east bank in order “to pinpoint and return fire on the intense barrage of fire directed at the bare,” the letter stated.
Despite his personal vulnerability to the intense oncoming fire, he continuously fired from his craft’s two high-caliber guns, “laying down a heavy and accurate suppression fire on the enemy positions.”
With the coordinated efforts of his craft, and those of nearby U.S. detachments and units, U.S. forces repulsed the enemy attack.
The letter concludes, “Clark’s devotion to duty, courage under fire and exemplary professionalism reflected great credit upon himself and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.”

This story was written by Zachary Fitzgerald of The Daily Review staff. Reach him at zfitzgerald@daily-review.com.