Assassination of John Wayne timeline
Here is a continuation of the timeline. Thanks to those of you who have commented thus far.
Washington, D.C.: 11:23 a.m.
Ambassador Zarubin arrives back at the Soviet embassy in Washington to see a large crowd outside the embassy yelling obscenities and epithets. As Zarubin’s car approaches demonstrators in the crowd start pelting it with eggs, rocks, and anything else they can throw. By the time Zarubin is safely inside the embassy the front windshield of the car is cracked. Badly shaken, Zarubin hurries to the embassy communication center to confer with Moscow. Meanwhile outside the crowd continues to become larger and more vocal. Soon they are pressing against the fence of the embassy and trying to climb over onto embassy grounds. Embassy guards and plain clothes security agents begin to eject the protestors but a rock strikes one of the embassy guards seriously wounding him even as several protestors are also wounded. By this point Washington police, whom the Soviets will later claim have been present but doing next to nothing up to this point, enter the crowd and begin to break it up using nightsticks and tear gas. As the demonstration ends 2 Soviet embassy personnel are wounded as well as 13 protestors. In addition 20 protestors are charged with varying charges from trespassing to assault.
Los Angeles: 1:00 p.m.
Director, John Ford arrives at the police station where Dmitri Komolev is being held. He is clearly drunk and wielding a large shot gun. He demands to see Komolev and give that rotten red s—b what he deserves. After several tense minutes Ford is calmed down by the police on duty and relieved of the gun. Ford is quietly taken out through the back of the station and driven home. News of this incident leaks to the general public later that evening prompting the police to move Dmitri Komolev to another location for his own safety and for that of the officers guarding him. Word has already reached the LAPD and the FBI office in Los Angeles that Komolev is to be protected at all costs. J. Edgar Hoover wants answers that only Komolev has.
Washington, D.C: 1:30 p.m.
Chairman of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), John Stephens Wood, speaking before the press, offers his condolences to the friends, families, and colleagues of John Wayne whom he calls a “true patriot.” He then declares that a subcommittee will be formed that will investigate the Wayne murder and determine if the assassins had any inside help. Wood goes on to say that given the beehive of communist activity that has been seen already in Hollywood he is concerned for the safety of those artists there who espouse true American values.
Mid Afternoon to Early Evening: Across the U.S.
Outside theaters that are showing his latest film, “Big Jim McLain” fans of John Wayne gather to remember the fallen actor. Although the film received very bad reviews initially, it will in the next few weeks become one of Warner Brothers’ biggest grossing films ever. Many fans carry signs demanding that Truman “nuke the Russian bastards that did this."
Moscow, U.S.S.R.: 3:00 p.m.
A shaken Nikita Khrushchev emerges from a Politburo meeting where Stalin has announced the successful conclusion of a major intelligence operation. “One of the chief representatives of the corrupt, imperialistic, propaganda film industry in America has been killed by a brave son of Russia.” Khrushchev is sweating. He knows the U.S. will be furious over this action. There is some good news in this catastrophe. Stalin has agreed with the Politburo that for now Soviet involvement in this plot should be played down if not denied. Khrushchev hopes this will buy time for him and others such as Zhukov to take action. Stalin has clearly gone too far and something must be done and soon before he launches any more such actions.