just my thoughts
seems others feel the same way.

 

how frigging cool. if i knew how to decal that it would be on the hood of my truck

 

Hero? There are a lot of different kinds of Heroes in the world but, the Dukester and / or his character's strengths is certainly someone I have try to emulate to some degree.

Hmmm let me see. I have over 85 "Duke" movies recorded for prosperity. A bumper sticker That has a line drawing of John Wayne, from "Sands of Iwo Jima" that says..."Where are you when we need you?"

I nicknamed my Godson "Dude" and my youngest daughter "Shortgrub" Not because of similarity looks BTW...but, because of friendship and loyalty.

And I try to live by the J.B. Books credo:

"I won't be harmed - I won't be insulted
I won't be laid a hand upon - I don't do any of these things
And I expect the same of others"

 

My hero? Get real. Jimmy Stewart, Henry Fonda, Clark Gable and other "Stars" actually left their careers for WWII. Wayne obtained 3-A status, "deferred for [family] dependency reasons." He told friends he'd enlist after he made just one or two more movies .... didn't happen. He was never in the military, he was never a cowboy, he was never a hero .... he was an actor playing those roles. If I were looking for a real hero, the "Duke" would not make it to my list.

 

From one site

From other sources, he tried to join the Navy but was rejected for being partially deaf and an old football injury. That and being 34 (high end) in 1941 were also reasons. Didnt stop him from getting some time touring the front lines for three months in the Pacific Theater.

I think 32 was the cutoff point back then. My husband's father was not called up until early 1944. He was 31 and had a family too. Was trained in Tank Destroyers and then was with the 11th Airborne in the Pacific Theater before being a part of the first Occupation Forces in Japan.

But True. Others did join up and put their careers on hold. Not everyone ended up "Over There" or "There" though. Ronald Reagan enlisted as a private in the Army Reserves in 1937. Then went to Reserve Officer Training School. But spent all of his duty in "Camp Hollywood" making over 400 training films for the Army. MGM tried hard to keep Gable from joining although he was well overage for combat or enlistment. He ended up on a desk job in England but did manage to sneak a few jaunts as "gunner" in a bomber.
Some others were:

Mickey Rooney USN,
Glen Ford US Marines,
Gene Autry (USAAF. Flew C 47s over Burma)
David Niven (British Commando Lt.Col at D Day),
Sir Alec Guiness (Royal Navy, handled landing craft at D Day)
James Doohan (Canadian Army Artillery and landed at Juno Beach, Normandy)
Richard Todd (British Army, was at D Day as a Cpl. In the movie, "The Longest Day", he played an officer landing at D Day...talk about deja vu!)
Donald Pleasance (The Great Escape) He WAS a RAF pilot. WAS shot down by the Germans and was a prisoner!)
Douglas Fairbanks Jr. (USNR Officer, commanded craft on commando raids)
Charlton Heston (US Army Sgt.),
Eddie Albert (USN Officer decorated w/Bronze Star as USN Landing Office helping Marines at Tarawa),
Earnest Borgnine (USN Gunner's Mate 1935-45)

Jason Robards Jr, USN Radioman whose ship USS Northhampton was at sea when Pearl Harbor was hit. 17 Major Pacific battles and won the Navy Cross at
Charles Durning was a Ranger at Normandy.
Charles Bronson was a B-29 tail gunner at Tinian,
George C. Scott US Marine.
Brian Keith US Marine machinegunner.
Lee Marvin US Marines,
Robert Ryan OSS in Yugoslavia,
Sterling Hayden, OSS in Yugoslavia
Tyrone Powers US Marine Cargo pilot who helped supply marines (and pull out wounded) at Iwo Jima/Okinawa.
Wayne Morris was a USN Hellcat pilot ACE. 57 missions, four DFCs and two Air Medals

James Arness was at Anzio
Ed MacMahan was a Marine fighter pilot in 1944 and later, carrier instuctor. As a Reserve Marine Pilot, he flew 85 missions in Korea.

Of course, there was Audie Murphy.

There are so many others, well known and not so well known (anymore), who served in one form or another. Both men AND women. Not all were in combat, though.

Like I said, John Wayne had a lot to make up for. But not for the lack of trying and apparently it ate at him. But as an inspiration, can it be said he did not do his part? For what he represented...and made him so controversial to some....he took alot of flak when being "American" was unpopular. Guess that should count for something.

 

As VikingBabe noted, J.W.'s back injury was a result of college football. This is where his notable "walk" originated. He was very saddened by his deferment and proceeded to do his part by making fund raising films / documentaries, and and making movies to exemplify our war heroes. Often times depicting the "average Joe" trying to defeat his own demons while fighting the bad guys.

"Saddle Up!"

 

Even though Wayne (Marion Morrison) was deferred from the WWII, he was still (like other people from that era) very pro-American. Everyone did what he or she could to help the war effort.

Look, back then the world was like fighting against The Devil!

I remember seeing Wayne on an interview back in the 1970’s shortly before he died. In defending the United States, he was still very driven for to push forward with building the neutron bomb.

He had a, “Just because we have it, doesn’t mean we have to use it” attitude.

 

Yet he managed to perform his own stunts in his films. My intent was not meant to attack Wayne; it was to point out that there were many more that truly deserved the "Hero" label.

 

Myself ...I think the word "Hero" is Overused & Misused.

My example of a Hero.
That French Canadian guy that landed a deadstick Jumbo Jet on that Island somewhere a few years back and allowed his passengers to walk off his plane.

One problem was that he was responsible for 2nd engine running out of fuel in the first place.


A few days later the press tried to discredit him because he smoked marijuana when he was younger.

I'll see if I can find the story.

EDIT:

http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1154196

 

Well, I meant to make it clear that I don't feel that any actor would garner a Hero label by their mere acting achievements.

Most real heroes are reluctant to even be recognized as such.

lenny1carl and Nan are heroes to me. Or folks like a dear friend of mine who fought and overcame breast cancer. Or my wife who has been the caregiver to her older sister (Downs Syndrome) for the last 24 years...now facing new challenges with the onset of Alzheimer's.

Or the folks who knowingly give their lives so that others may live.

The young person that beats drugs.. or survives an abusive household....

....These are the types of heroes I recognize as such.

But, it is fun and healthy for the imagination and spirit to look upon fictional characters as heroes. As they are typically a compilation of what we all wish to see as heroes.

 

I heard that as a young kid he also threw snowballs at fast moving trucks!

He sounds dangerous to me! LOL