John Wayne was indisputably a Hollywood icon, however he was way more than that to Ronald Reagan. Actually, the fortieth president of america by no means forgot how America’s most beloved massive display screen cowboy, nicknamed the Duke, gave him assist when he wanted it most.
John Wayne stays some of the recognizable actors of all time, however he was additionally terribly patriotic. “John Wayne has devoted his complete life to America,” mentioned Sen. Barry Goldwater throughout the 1979 hearings to award the Duke with the Congressional Medal of Honor. “And I’m protected in saying that the American folks have an affection for John Wayne reminiscent of they’ve had for only a few folks within the historical past of America.”
“John Wayne isn’t just an actor, and an excellent actor, he is america of America,” mentioned actress Maureen O’Hara on the 1979 hearings. “I really feel this gold medal ought to say only one factor: John Wayne American . . . I urge you to order the President to strike it.” O’Hara, identified for her fiery crimson hair, starred with the Duke within the 1952 basic A Quiet Man. They have been additionally nice buddies his complete life.
Though Ronald Reagan and John Wayne by no means made a film collectively, they have been effectively acquainted. Reagan and Wayne shared political views, however sadly, the Duke died about eighteen months earlier than Reagan gained his bid for the White Home. Nevertheless, throughout a 1988 interview, Reagan recounted how his buddy gave him and his spouse Nancy assist throughout their first massive public battle.
“Are there any feedback you’d like to present to shut out?” the interviewer requested. “We’re doing this documentary for public tv on John Wayne, referred to as An American Hero, I would add. Are there any final, closing feedback you’d prefer to make concerning the man?”
“There’s one factor that I feel reveals the character of that man in addition to something,” Reagan mentioned. Then, he started to inform the story of the primary Display screen Actors Guild strike. At the moment, he was president of SAG. So, Reagan was catching many of the blame from the media in addition to others in Hollywood.
“Within the mornings, for seven months, I used to be out of that home at conferences making an attempt to get this factor settled,” Reagan defined. “And, Nancy can be there with the morning papers. Typically, they have been worse than others.”
Ronald Reagan went on to elucidate how the Duke reached out to Nancy Reagan. “At some point, Nancy instructed me that she’d had a cellphone name that morning after I left, and it was John Wayne.” The Duke was studying the papers as effectively. So, in keeping with Reagan, he simply referred to as to say, “I believed you may wish to hear a pleasant voice about this time.” He then went on to inform Nancy how supportive he was of Ronald Reagan and what he was doing as head of SAG.
That wasn’t only a one-time factor, both. Ronald Reagan mentioned that John Wayne referred to as his home each morning simply to cheer Nancy up. Trying again on that point, Reagan added, “That was very typical of John Wayne.” When Reagan left appearing to begin his profession working for political workplace, Wayne publically supported him by each marketing campaign.
In the course of the Vietnam Conflict, a number of navy households began a marketing campaign for missing-in-action troopers. In remembrance of navy members, bracelets would bear the title of a captured or lacking soldier. Impressed by Wayne, Ronald Reagan acknowledged he wore the equivalent bracelet the Duke wore daily. Out of 1000’s of troopers, each males’s bracelets bore the title Steve Hanson, who was a second lieutenant and flew a CH46A helicopter within the Marines till Vietnamese troopers shot him out of the sky on June 3, 1967.
The fallen Marine’s spouse impacted the legendary actor when she reached out to Wayne in a letter with a photograph. In response to a 1988 Reagan Library interview, the previous president defined that Hanson had written, “Me as John Wayne,” throughout the {photograph}. Each males could be seen carrying the bracelet on digicam and through public appearances on the time. Nice patriotic Individuals like John Wayne and Ronald Reagan solely come as soon as in a lifetime, and there’s no doubt each are sorely missed in America right this moment.
