John Wayne was the silver screen’s all-American action hero, starring in countless beloved westerns and war films. With his stoney-faced stoicism and heroic antics, the image of Wayne’s various characters – virtually all of whom were quite similar to one another – represented the thankfully now-outdated standard of masculinity. Throughout his filmography, Wayne was always keen to glorify the US Army and its actions across the world, going so far as to create borderline propaganda, yet he never actually served in the military himself.
Wayne came from a military family, with his grandfather and namesake, Marion Mitchell Morrison, being a veteran of the American Civil War, during which he fought on the side of the Union. During his adolescence, Wayne sought to follow in those military footsteps. Too young to enlist in the First World War – he was only 11 when the conflict ended – Wayne chose instead to apply for the U.S. Naval Academy during the 1920s, following his graduation from high school. However, the future actor was not accepted for the programme as a result of poor academic grades.
Instead, a young John Wayne ended up at the University of Southern California on a sporting scholarship, which was later revoked after he injured his collarbone. This sudden change in plans eventually led Wayne to get his start in the film industry as an extra for the director John Ford. During the mid-1920s and early 1930s, the actor started to gain his first few acting credits in films, often playing minor parts and occasionally appearing as an uncredited extra.
Pretty early on in Wayne’s acting career, he began to get typecast in war films or westerns, something which would go on to define his acting career. He continued to act in a variety of roles throughout the 1930s, becoming one of Hollywood’s most recognisable stars in the process. However, when the USA joined World War II in 1941, following the invasion of Pearl Harbour by Japanese forces, many Hollywood stars abandoned acting in favour of enlisting in the forces and aiding the war effort.
Given his family’s military history, his teenage interest in the Naval Academy, and the multiple military roles he played in his acting career, it should come as no surprise that Wayne also wanted to aid the war effort. Although he was exempt from the draft, being the age of 34 when Pearl Harbour was invaded, he did write to John Ford multiple times asking to enlist in the US Army. Moreover, he was under contract with Republic Studios at the time, who threatened legal action if he enlisted in the forces.
Nevertheless, the actor filed an application for the Office of Strategic Services, an espionage agency formed in 1942 that operated behind enemy lines. Ultimately, though, having an incredibly recognisable Hollywood actor as an American spy probably was not the smartest idea, and Wayne’s application was rejected. Instead, the actor continued to appear in films throughout the war, including roles in various propaganda war films like Flying Tigers, Reunion in France, or Back to Bataan.
Reportedly, Wayne’s failure to serve in World War II was a source of great regret and shame throughout the rest of his life, likely explaining his move towards nationalism and ulta-patriotism during his later years. Even though he did not take an active role in the war, his various film appearances during that era were crucial to the war effort back in the United States.
Did John Wayne ever go to Vietnam?
Given that John Wayne was too old to be included in the draft for World War II, he was much too old to serve in the subsequent war in Vietnam. However, the actor did take a trip to the country in 1966, visiting US troops fighting in the Vietnamese jungle in an effort to boost morale. Multiple performers and celebrities visited troops in Vietnam during the conflict, including the likes of Bob Hope, James Brown, and Ann-Magret.
Wayne’s visit to the war-torn country, along with his growing disgust over the anti-war movement back home, inspired him to direct the 1968 film The Green Berets. One of Wayne’s all-time worst projects, the film is an incredibly thinly veiled propaganda piece denouncing communism and attempting to boost support for the US-backed South Vietnam. Thankfully, the film did very little to stifle the protest movement surrounding the conflict in Vietnam.