Odds are that when someone mentions John Wayne, they're either thinking about western movies or some old war film. The actor John Wayne never served in the U.S. military, but the classic "John Wayne" served through World War II, the Korean War and in Vietnam, right up until the early 1980s.

Did John Wayne ever visit Vietnam?

When actor John Wayne visited American soldiers in Vietnam in the summer of 1966, he was warmly welcomed. As he spoke to groups and individuals, he was presented gifts and letters from American and South Vietnamese troops alike.

What celebrities dodged the Vietnam draft?

American draft evaders who left for Canada and became prominent there include politician Jim Green, gay rights advocate Michael Hendricks, attorney Jeffry House, author Keith Maillard, playwright John Murrell, television personality Eric Nagler, film critic Jay Scott, and musician Jesse Winchester.

Did John Wayne try to enlist in the military?

In 1941, when the United States entered the war, Wayne was already 34 years old, which was above the age limit for the draft. However, he expressed his desire to serve his country and tried to enlist in the military, but was rejected due to a football injury he had sustained earlier in his life.

Why did John Wayne make The Green Berets?

Wayne said he was making "The Green Berets" because he thought a movie ought to be made about the Vietnam War. It will be the first Hollywood movie about the war. A curious state of affairs, because Hollywood turned out dozens of World War II and Korean War movies.

John Wayne Addresses Vietnam POWs Upon Their Return

Did John Wayne support Vietnam War?

Wayne was a steadfast supporter of American involvement in the war in Vietnam. He co-directed the film, and turned down the "Major Reisman" role in The Dirty Dozen to do so.

Why was John Wayne unable to serve in the military?

John Wayne was deferred from military service (not able to be drafted) because service would cause hardship upon his family. He had four children under the age of 10 by the time the US had entered WW2. Very few film stars that served had children or were married when they were drafted or enlisted.

Why did John Wayne not like Clint Eastwood?

John Wayne Hated Eastwood's Take On The Western

When Clint Eastwood - and the spaghetti subgenre with which he was best associated – came along, the ideals of unambiguous morality, American Exceptionalism, and Manifest Destiny were torn apart.

Did Clint Eastwood serve in the military?

Military service. In March 1951, Eastwood was drafted by the United States Army and assigned to Fort Ord in California, where he was appointed as a lifeguard and projectionist of training films.

Did Bruce Springsteen serve in Vietnam?

Upon being drafted when he was 19, Springsteen failed the physical examination and avoided service in the Vietnam War because the concussion he had suffered in a motorcycle accident two years prior (and his behavior at induction) reportedly made him unacceptable for service.

Who was most likely to be drafted to serve in the Vietnam War?

Most of U.S. soldiers drafted during the Vietnam War were men from poor and working-class families. These were young men who were not going get a college deferment, have a political connection, or have a family doctor that could give them a medical deferment.

What birthdays were drafted in Vietnam?

On December 1, 1969, the Selective Service System of the United States conducted two lotteries to determine the order of call to military service in the Vietnam War in the year 1970, for men born from January 1, 1944, to December 31, 1950.

Why did John Wayne wear a silver bracelet?

When John Wayne was filming The Green Berets he was giving a Bracelet from Mantagnard People of the Central Valley in Vietnam . They were fierce fighters against communism. He wore bracelet in all movies that followed.

Was John Wayne a cowboy in real life?

The actor John Wayne came to personify the Old West, a guy who slow-talked and fought his way across the frontier, who could ride and tumble with the best of them. He became the archetypal tough-guy cowboy. But he wasn't a cowboy, far from it.

Did Robert Mitchum serve in the military?

Mitchum got drafted into the Army and then got a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for playing a soldier. He served as a medic at Fort MacArthur, California. Mitchum was married with two sons when he was drafted, so the Army gave him a Dependency Discharge after eight months of service.

Did Jack Nicholson serve in the military?

Military service

In 1957, Nicholson joined the California Air National Guard, a move he sometimes characterized as an effort to "dodge the draft"; the Korean War era's Military Selective Service Act was still in force, and draftees were required to perform up to two years of active duty.

Is Chuck Norris a veteran?

Air Force veteran Chuck Norris, a native of Oklahoma who learned martial arts while stationed in South Korea, went on to become a world-famous karate champion in the 1960s and 1970s. Norris eventually parlayed his fighting skills into an acting career that showcased his smooth voice and powerful roundhouse kicks.

What actor was a Marine and a pilot?

Actor and comedian Rob Riggle joined the Marines as a pilot in 1990 and served for 23 years before retiring in 2013.

Who was John Wayne's best friend?

Who was JOHN WAYNE'S lifelong BUDDY AND BEST MAN, Ward Bond? A look into the great character actor and best friend of JOHN WAYNE, WARD BOND. How the friendship they shared was on a special level!

Did John Wayne know he was dying while shooting the Shootist?

It is unknown if John Wayne was aware that he was dying of cancer when he agreed to film The Shootist; whatever the case, the film is a powerful valedictory to a rem arkable man and a fabulous career.

Did Henry Fonda serve in the military?

Fonda served for three years, initially as a Quartermaster 3rd Class on the destroyer USS Satterlee. He was later commissioned as a Lieutenant Junior Grade in Air Combat Intelligence in the Central Pacific and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Navy Presidential Unit Citation.

Did Jimmy Stewart serve in the military?

On March 22, 1941, Jimmy Stewart was drafted into the U.S. Armed Forces. He was assigned to the Army Air Corps as an enlisted man and stationed at Moffett Field, Calif.

Did Kirk Douglas serve in the military?

Douglas joined the United States Navy in 1941, shortly after the United States entered World War II, where he served as a communications officer in anti-submarine warfare aboard USS PC-1139. He was medically discharged in 1944 for injuries sustained from the premature explosion of a depth charge.