Lance Corporal Mark Ryan Black, USMC

This online book contains the posthumous personal story of United States Marine Lance Corporal Mark Ryan Black, who at the age of 22 gave his life for his country in the Vietnam War.

The online book is available for reading only in .PDF as a 3 volume download.

Content of Book©
Volume I©
Volume II©
Volume III©
The average size of each .pdf is 13mb.

Front Cover

Lance Corporal Black, a resident of Sweetser, IN, was not a known letter writer. Yet from his first day as a Marine, until his death sixteen months later, Mark wrote home to his parents 93 handwritten letters, spoke 26 tape recorded letters, and snapped hundreds of photographs that he never saw.

Shortly after his death on August 14, 1967, his mother, Carol Black, began to preserve all his mementos in three large notebooks. She titled Mark’s collection, “Too Young to Die”. Every handwritten letter Mark mailed home she included.

Back Cover

Each audio tape letter was transcribed for easy reading, and the pictures Mark sent home were displayed for viewing. This book is an exact copy of the entire contents of the three notebooks.

Mark carried a 35mm Argus camera, weighing two pounds, on his march throughout Vietnam to snap the photographs. He also carried a 3 inch reel-to-reel recorder (state-of-the-art for 1966-67) for taping the spoken letters.

In 2008, the Black Family, wishes to share Lance Corporal Black’s mementos with the general public. Our hope is that all who read Mark’s words, and hear his voice, and see his pictures, will find inspiration that benefits and improves their personal life.

The online book is available for reading only in .PDF as a 3 volume download.

Content of Book©
Volume I©
Volume II©
Volume III©
The average size of each .pdf is 13mb.

Streaming Videos

1. Too Young to Die 60 min – Walk with Mark during his 18 months as a Marine. He tells his story using his photographs with narration by his own voice.

2. Lance Corporal Mark Ryan Black, USMC Tribute: 15 min – A brief overview of Mark’s Vietnam tour of duty.

The videos are .wmv needing Windows Media Player
or similar player

	Many tributes to Mark have been placed on this website by family, friends, and fellow veterans. Plus there are many pictures. There is an easy to use search feature to find these tributes. Just enter his name, and home of Sweetser. Please add you own tribute.
The Virtual Wall	This site has more remembrances to Mark, plus you can enter your own. This site is unique in that you can pay a virtual visit to the wall and find Marks name. Click "Experiencing the Wall". Mark's name is located on panel 24E, row 108.


LCpl Mark R. Black, U.S.M.C.	Papa 3 Outpost - Site of Mark's Death

Mark Often Carried the Radio	Morning Grooming

Patrol - Going within 2 miles of DMZ	Leisure Time with Local Village Kids

Proud to be a Marine	Papa 3 Resupply - End of Line

The Marines of CAC Papa 3	Mark's Nephews visit his H. S. Memorial