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I'm a a big fan of Wayne's, introduced my grandson to his movies. He was really good at playing heroes on screen.

But I am also a grown-up who realizes that Wayne the man fell far short of the heroes he played on screen at the most crucial time in our history. There were a lot of better established, older Hollywood actors who threw their careers to the wind (read about Robert Montegomery some time) and laid their lives on the line for the flag that you want to wrap around Wayne. He stayed home.

That fact can't be changed, it can't be excused and for me it can't be forgiven.

The guy was an icon, no doubt about that. But he was iconic for the heroic roles he played not the life he led.

But I am also a grown-up who realizes that Wayne the man fell far short of the heroes he played on screen at the most crucial time in our history. There were a lot of better established, older Hollywood actors who threw their careers to the wind (read about Robert Montegomery some time) and laid their lives on the line for the flag that you want to wrap around Wayne. He stayed home.

Clark Gable, Jimmy Stewart, Leslie Howard who died serving in the British forces, David Niven who served in the Royal Army and on and on.

BTW, Wayne starred with Robert Montgomery in another John Ford flick, They Were Expendable. It's a very accurate portrayal of a PT boat squadron in The Phillippines in the early months of the Pacific War. The Montgomery character is based on the real naval hero John Bulkeley.

Whatever the reason was, Wayne didn't serve but he didn't lie about it either or try to cover it up. Still, he became a hero for the roles he played on screen and the life he lived off screen. Wayne made every effort throughout his life to show his patriotism, love of country and support for the military. In 1944 Wayne helped found the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals. His political conservatism and anticommunist stance were legendary.

During the filming of They Were Expendable, John Ford made fun of Wayne and put him down for not serving in the war. Robert Montgomery asked Ford to stop picking on Wayne for his benefit. As the story goes, that caused Ford to break down in tears. Jimmy Stewart, a Republican, and Henry Fonda, a liberal, both served in WWII and were two of Wayne's best friends.

My Father was drafted in 1943 at the age of 35. On D-Day he landed on Normandy Beach and later fought in the Battle of the Bulge. One of my Father's favorite actors was John Wayne. My Father told me that Wayne did more for the war effort by making pro-American movies (AKA. propaganda films) at home, then he could ever have done by serving overseas. John Wayne did his part to help win the war.

There were a lot of better established, older Hollywood actors who threw their careers to the wind (read about Robert Montegomery some time) and laid their lives on the line for the flag that you want to wrap around Wayne. He stayed home.

And if the War Department felt he could better serve by staying home playing the hero in the movies? Do you seriously think the Duke was a coward?

John Wayne tested for Annapolis back in the 1920s. In whatever subdivision he was in, they took the top three and he was fourth.

When WWII broke out, he tried to enlist. He was 34 years old, married with several children and a bum shoulder from playing football in college. He was 4F.

But thanks for checking the facts before sliming him.