What if John Wayne Went To War?
- Thread starter Red_Crate
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Was a hair too old to be drafted. Lots of Hollywood types served in combat. Some like Eddy Arnold got much deserved medals. No reason why the Wayne could not have done something similar.
John Wayne was 34 years old in 1941 and exempt from the draft.
I think he would have served in John Ford’s Photographic unit. This would have allowed Wayne to go overseas. He could have also worked with John Huston in one of his war documentaries like “Battle of San Pietro” or William Wellman on “The Memphis Belle”. Another option is that John Wayne stayed in the US making training films like Ronald Reagan.
I think he would have served in John Ford’s Photographic unit. This would have allowed Wayne to go overseas. He could have also worked with John Huston in one of his war documentaries like “Battle of San Pietro” or William Wellman on “The Memphis Belle”. Another option is that John Wayne stayed in the US making training films like Ronald Reagan.
Clark Gable flew combat missions over Europe as a B17 gunner. Rotated back to the US as a Staff Sgt.
Interestingly enough, to quote his Wikipedia article (which, of course, cites another source), "Adolf Hitler favored Gable above all other actors. During World War II, Hitler offered a sizable reward to anyone who could capture and bring Gable to him unscathed."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clark_Gable#World_War_II
Now that would be an interesting scenario...
Jesus Christ, that could end up being a really bizarre chapter in the history of blacklisting.
I think that Wayne would be given a pass so long as he does not go around spouting communist rhetoric. Attitudes in the United States softened a bit toward the Soviet Union during the war, for obvious reasons.
Its the post war attitudes where the trouble is. What would McCarthy & his fellow travelers do with the Wayne circa 1953?
Well, everyone knew that Wayne was a strong political conservative, so I doubt that any accusations would really stick, especially on a charge as flimsy as "he met and maybe took pictures with Stalin once at a time when we were fighting a war on the same side as the Soviets."
Wayne is far more useful to anti-communist crusaders as an ally - heck, he can even give an interview talking about how he knew Stalin was an evil man the moment he looked into his eyes.
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Marc
Donor
Lieutenant Reagan was ordered to active duty on 19 April 1942. Due to eyesight difficulties, he was classified for limited service only, which excluded him from serving overseas. His first assignment was at the San Francisco Port of Embarkation at Fort Mason, California, as liaison officer of the Port and Transportation Office. Upon the request of the Army Air Forces (AAF), he applied for a transfer from the Cavalry to the AAF on 15 May 1942; the transfer was approved on 9 June 1942. He was assigned to AAF Public Relations and subsequently to the 1st Motion Picture Unit in Culver City, California. Reagan was promoted to First Lieutenant on 14 January 1943 and was sent to the Provisional Task Force Show Unit of This Is The Army at Burbank, California. Following this duty, he returned to the 1st Motion Picture Unit, and on 22 July 1943 was promoted to Captain.
In January 1944, Captain Reagan was ordered to temporary duty in New York City to participate in the opening of the sixth War Loan Drive. He was assigned to the 18th AAF Base Unit, Culver City, California on 14 November 1944, where he remained until the end of the war. He was recommended for promotion to Major on 2 February 1945, but this recommendation was disapproved on July 17 of that year. On 8 September 1945, he was ordered to report to Fort MacArthur, California, where he was separated from active duty on 9 December 1945.
While on active duty with the 1st Motion Picture Unit and the 18th Army Air Forces Base Unit, Captain Reagan served as Personnel Officer, Post Adjutant, and Executive Officer. By the end of the war, his units had produced some 400 training films for the Army Air Forces.
John Wayne's military career, if he had served.
In January 1944, Captain Reagan was ordered to temporary duty in New York City to participate in the opening of the sixth War Loan Drive. He was assigned to the 18th AAF Base Unit, Culver City, California on 14 November 1944, where he remained until the end of the war. He was recommended for promotion to Major on 2 February 1945, but this recommendation was disapproved on July 17 of that year. On 8 September 1945, he was ordered to report to Fort MacArthur, California, where he was separated from active duty on 9 December 1945.
While on active duty with the 1st Motion Picture Unit and the 18th Army Air Forces Base Unit, Captain Reagan served as Personnel Officer, Post Adjutant, and Executive Officer. By the end of the war, his units had produced some 400 training films for the Army Air Forces.
John Wayne's military career, if he had served.
A Conservative Anti-communist US Patriot like John Wayne accused by McCarthy ?
That hearing i want to see how John Wayne ripp him into pieces, i guess Wayne labeling McCarthy as "Radical Liberal who wants to take over the Nation"...
Jimmy Stewart flew combat missions with the 8th Airforce and remained a reserve officer finally reaching the rank of Brigadier General with the USAF. He appeared in the seminal documentary World at War and insisted he was simply referred to by his rank and as a bomber pilot for his interview.
Jean Gabin was 40 when he entered Paris as part of the Allied Forces. Having had to pay to get out of a US contract, he had left then girlfriend Marlene Dietrich behind. And had already been decorated twice for his actions in North Africa.
In a post war movie his caracter his asked where he was on D Day and just answers:
"On the beaches"
Had John Wayne seen combat, he could have had that line.
In a post war movie his caracter his asked where he was on D Day and just answers:
"On the beaches"
Had John Wayne seen combat, he could have had that line.
Maybe he developes a more rational thinking regarding patriotism and war ?
John Wayne was a Chicken Hawk. He was a narrow-minded, racist, drunk, hypocritcal, draft-dodger and fake patriot. An excerpt of a very worthwhilie read from the left-wing neo-socialist webpage military.com:
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Communism itself isn't bad, per se. The Soviet Union was bad, but no worse than the Czar or Russia today.And what the US did in Vietnam to fight the Soviet Union was bad, particularly under Nixon. If he had fought and suffered in WW II, then he might he might have had some more comprehension of the actual cost of war and some compassion for those who paid that cost. O