Posted on 06/03/2007 11:40:29 AM PDT by lowbridge
this past Memorial Day weekend, was loaded with John Wayne movies, Wayne being the symbol of American stand-up-and-fight courage, especially in the most bloody and noble of U.S. military endeavors.
But when you tell people, especially lovers of John Wayne and all he ostensibly stood for and still stands for, that Wayne assiduously avoided military service during World War II, well, they either don't believe it or don't take it well.
At the outbreak of WW II, Wayne was 34, the father of four and his movie career was on the grow. He didn't have to enlist. And he didn't.
But many other "older" Hollywood leading men heard the call and answered it. Clark Gable was past 40 when he flew combat missions. Jimmy Stewart, who in four years rose from Pvt. Stewart to Col. Stewart, was 34 when he joined the Air Corps, gaining weight to meet the minimum standard.
But John Wayne, the fellow who starred in so many World War II action movies, never served.
Yet, TV programmers have seen to it that Wayne, more than any other American, is synonymous with Memorial Day, a day to honor those who did serve
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
The percentage of those is actually quite small. They just get press attention in a way that auto mechanics with the same enthusiams would not.
Ford was a mean old liberal who taunted Wayne for his politics all the time.
EVERYTHING I EVER NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT JOHN WAYNE, I LEARNED IN REPO MAN.
I’ve always heard Joe Louis, Rocky Graziano, and Walt Disney were deserters. Any body know the facts?
Joe Louis spent the war enlisted, giving exhibition boxing matches to entertain the troops. Rocky Graziano was jailed for hitting his commanding officer. Don’t know about Disney.
John Wayne is still pissing off libs 35 years after his death. You gotta love a guy like that!
Sounds like a wrestling promoter.
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