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 ...
"When the Duke was a young man he wanted to attend Annapolis (the Navy Military Academy) but was unable to win an appointment from his state's Senator. When he was awarded a scholarship to the University of Southern California he went there to play football. The Duke was 34 when World War II started and the father of 4 children so he was exempted from the draft. If he was to volunteer his medical examination showed that he would have needed to seek a wavier for his bad ankle something that was not being granted until much later in the war and never for combat troops."
http://www.jwaynefan.com/military.html
"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."
Gable and Stewart didn't have a wife and 4 kids to support. They were both single and childless at the time (Gable was a widow, his wife Carole Lombard dying in a plane crash)
Phil Mushnick.. sounds familiar..
But that won't prevent us from making a big deal out of it, because we hate anything that might represent what is great about this nation and John Wayne - because of the larger-than-life and purely American characters he portrayed - represents some of the greatness of this country.
We are the NY Slimes, and we represent what is dispicable.
While on a war bond drive.
Oh yeah, now I remember. He’s a Lilleputian polemicist of a sportswriter. The guy makes a living trashing people like Vince McMahon and Steven A. Smith.
clinton didn’t have to enlist, and he didn’t, instead he spent time serving america by protesting vietnam in russia and going to oxford
Actually, it’s the Post, Murdoch’s paper.
I was talking to a friend of mine who was in the Navy during WW2 and Korea who mentioned this to me about two weeks ago.
It was in the NY Post
I'm still trying to find the story here. The agenda is clear
A father of 4 didn't have to serve and decided his family was important
Someone help me here? What did the "Duke " do wrong?
Mushnick is the NY Post’s sports writer.
This may all be true but I will bet my life he did more for my country than you, Mr.Mushnick.
LOL ... I saw the NY and read "Times" ...
Feeling stupid, I'll salvage my reputation with this:
All those weasel journalists are the same!
How's that?
Thank You! ..also, the military believed at that time John Wayne would do the country a better service by continuing to make patriotic war films..
That’s about right. See me Post #4.
Mushnick, rhymes with mushdick.
In my opinion, nothing. I think what he did on film boosted American morale and provided something more to American war efforts than he could have if he fired a rifle or piloted an fighter.
APf
John Wayne fought on a different front. His reruns are still doing it. :o)
Liberal strawman. According to them, we conservatives are not supposed to like or support people who did not serve, much less enlisted.
I was going to e-mail Mushnik, but couldn’t find a link.
“Phil, you ignorant slut. Wayne tried to enlist, was turned down, and flew to D.C. at his own expense to ask for a waiver—also refused.
I understand your burning emotional need to wee-wee on Wayne’s memory, given that you are a pathetic loser who is not fit to chew his jockstraps clean, but you really should try to find or invent some slander that is not so easily rebutted.”
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