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John Wayne and the Congressional Gold Medal
JOHN WAYNE GOLD MEDAL
MONDAY, MAY 21, 1979
HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES,
SUBCOMMITTEE ON CONSUMER AFFAIRS of THE
COMMITTEE ON BANKING, FINANCE AND URBAN AFFAIRS,
Washington, D.C.
MONDAY, MAY 21, 1979
HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES,
SUBCOMMITTEE ON CONSUMER AFFAIRS of THE
COMMITTEE ON BANKING, FINANCE AND URBAN AFFAIRS,
Washington, D.C.
The subcommittee met at 10:05 a.m. in room 2128 of the Rayburn House Office Building; Hon. Frank Annunzio (chairman of the sub-committee) presiding.
Present: Representatives Annunzio, Vento, Fauntroy, and Evans of Delaware.
Also present: Representatives Barnard, Hyden, and Campbell.
Chairman ANNUNZIO: The meeting of the Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs will come to order. This morning the Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs will hold hearings to consider H.R. 3767, which would authorize the President to present a gold medal to actor John Wayne. This legislation also would permit the Treasury to produce bronze replicas of the medal for sale to the general public.
[The text of H.R. 3767 follows]
96TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
To authorize the President of the United States, to present on behalf of the Congress a specially struck gold medal to John Wayne.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 26, 1979 Mr. GOLDWATER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs
A BILL
To authorize the President of the United States to present on behalf of the Congress a specially struck gold medal to John Wayne.
Be it enacted-by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That (a) the President of the United States is authorized to present, on behalf of the Congress, to John Wayne, a gold medal of appropriate design in recognition of his distinguished career as an actor and his service to the Nation. For such purpose, the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized
and directed to cause to be struck a gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions to be determined by the Secretary of the Treasury. There are authorized to be appropriated not to exceed $5,000 to carry out the provisions of this subsection.
(b) The Secretary of the Treasury may cause duplicates in bronze of such medal to be struck and sold at not less than the estimated cost of manufacture, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses, plus 25 percent of such cost of manufacture. The appropriation then current and chargeable for the cost of manufacture of such duplicate medals shall be fully reimbursed from the payment required by this section and received by the Secretary, except that any money received in excess of the actual cost of manufacture of such duplicate medals shall from time to time be covered into the Treasury. Security satisfactory to the Director of the Mint shall be furnished to indemnify the United States fully for the payment required by this section.
(c) The medals provided for in this Act are national medals for the purpose of section 3551 of the Revised Statutes (31 U.S.C. 368).
Chairman ANNUNZIO: John Wayne has properly been called the “last of Hollywood’s old time superheroes,” but this simple label cannot do justice to the man and the influence' he has had on millions of the world’s moviegoers. The star of hundreds of westerns, adventures, and even comedies, John Wayne continues in a career which has spanned four decades of film making. His growth as an actor and an individual has paralleled the development of this Nation in the last half-century. More important, he has helped the United States to grow in spirit and recover from periodic setbacks, as he has done in his own life.
Duke, as he is fondly known to all, was born in Iowa but moved to California at the age of 6 years. After studying at the University of Southern California, John Wayne was drawn by the magic of the cinema. He began his career as a stuntman, a position his large, 6-foot, 4-inch frame was well suited for.
After appearing in small roles in several films, Duke caught the eye of the famous director John Ford, who starred Wayne in the classic film, “Stagecoach.” There was no stopping Wayne’s career at this point, as each successive film became a box office hit. His greatest movies include “Red River,” “Sands of Iwo Jima,” “Rio Bravo,” and “True Grit,” for which he was awarded an Oscar in 1970 for his portrayal of a cantankerous western marshal.
John Wayne might easily have retired comfortably from his career as an actor in 1964, when his cancerous left lung was removed. Instead, a few months after the surgery, an undaunted Wayne was back on the set, where he could be found almost every day since. John Wayne’s indomitable presence on the silver screen has been enjoyed by countless millions of fans across the globe. Few performers
have achieved greater prominence, and none have retained their popularity as long as Duke.
The force of his character is pointed out by the fact that barely week can go by that a John Wayne film does not appear on television. Even on the small screen, Duke is not reduced in stature. He has left an indelible record of American life which future generations may enjoy as much as those in the past have.
John Wayne never considered that the entertainment he provided was sufficient service to his country, however. From his youngest days, Duke threw himself in to the political arena, and continues to work to preserve and foster the ideals he has advocated on and off the screen. From stuntman to folk hero, Wayne has taken the path which gives us a model of what individuals can achieve in this country. John
Wayne has already received an Oscar from his supporters in Hollywood, and now it is time for his fans and supporters in the Congress to give him the “Congressional Oscar.”
I have letters addressed to me, Congressman Frank Annunzio, from President Carter and from Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Association of America. I ask unanimous consent that these letters be made a part of the record. And, without objection, it is so ordered.
[The letters follow]
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
May 21, 1979
The Honorable Frank Annunzio, Chairman-Subcommittee
on Consumer Affairs Committee on Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
To Congressman Frank Annunzio,
I understand that your Subcommittee is holding hearings on H.R. 3767, a bill which Would authorize the issuance of a special Gold Medal to John Wayne for his outstanding service. I want to add my voice to those of the many supporters of this legislation.
John Wayne personifies the true American character. He serves as a symbol of courage and self—reliance in the finest of our Nation's traditions. His true grit helped to win the West, World War II, and
the hearts of thousands of us across the country and the world. You have my full support for your efforts to honor John Wayne with a Gold Medal.
Sincerely,
(signed) Jimmy Carter
Motion Picture Association
of America, Inc.
1600 Eye Street, Northwest
Washington, D.C. 20006
JACK VALENTI, President
May 16, 1979
The Honorable
Frank Annunzio
U.S. House of Representatives
2303 Rayburn Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Because I will be out of the country when you conduct your hearings, I ask permission for this statement to be entered in the record and made part of these proceedings.
The resolution of the Congress to recommend awarding to John Wayne a Gold Medal may be one of the most appropriate resolves ever taken by this Congress. Duke Wayne is such an extraordinary legend that one is tempted to enlarge the truth when the truth is perfectly adequate for either summit or sermon. If the sum of an American artist is deemed to be the illuminated expression of this nation, then Duke Wayne's life and achievements fit the gauge. For fifty years he has stalked outlaws, exterminated villainy, protected the innocent, explored the wilderness, forded rivers, driven cattle, and most of all, loved the land and his country. Beyond any doubt, he is the quintessential American and to the people in the United States he is a brave, noble and heroic man.
This Gold Medal will earn new luster when it is worn by John Wayne.
Sincerely,
(signed) Jack Valenti
I now want to ask the ranking Republican on the Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs from Delaware, Thomas B. Evans, Jr., if he would like to make a brief statement.
Mr. Evans: Mr. Chairman, I thank you very much. I would like to make a brief statement on the Republican side. I am very happy to join in this bipartisan ‘tribute to a great American and, I might add, a great Republican as well. We are happy to have your support for that, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Annunzio: We are not talking politics today.
Mr. Evans: We are certainly not. It is bipartisan.
I want to tell you, Mr. Chairman, that I used to go to the movies in my hometown of Seaford, Del., where I grew up, for 11 cents. I went again and again to see John Wayne. He was worth a lot more than 11 cents, but for a young man in his early teens, that 11 cents came pretty hard. But I learned a lot from John Wayne and I think America learned a lot from John Wayne, because he set the standards for American manhood. He was and still is tough. He is courageous; he was courageous; he will continue to be courageous. He displayed the self-reliance in the movies that he has always displayed as an individual.
He was and is a very fair individual. Although tough, he was willing and did have concern for other people, just as we as a nation should and do have concern. But we should make sure that everyone knows that we have the will to resist. That is something that John Wayne did in the movies. He displayed toughness and concern, and he let everyone know, friend or foe, large or small, he was going to resist if there was unfairness.
I think it is a message that we should heed today. He instilled tremendous pride in this great country, and he loves the United States of America. He is true patriot, who energetically supports the fundamental values which have made and will continue to make America what it is today.
And so, I am most pleased and very privileged and honored, Mr. Chairman, to join with you, to join with all of us in honoring a great man. I think by honoring him, we also honor a great country.
Chairman Annunzio: Thank you, Congressman Evans, for an outstanding statement.
I have been asked by the Delegate of the District of Columbia if he could make a statement, and I am going to have Congressman Walter Fauntroy make his statement at this time.
Mr. FAUNTROY: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
It is with a great deal of personal pleasure that I support and co-sponsor this bill, through which we will be honoring one of the true great men of our time, one who has truly moved like a giant across the backdrop of our country. Not only is John Wayne one of the finest actors ever to grace the screen, but he is also a person who has used his God-given talent to help others and their causes.
Someone has said that history is nourished by instructive example. Well, the instructive example, the life and the work of John Wayne, has served to enrich the public service. He was among the first public figures to reveal that he had surgery to remove a malignant tumor on his left lung; and, instead of hiding the fact in fear that it might adversely affect his image, he called a press conference to announce the fact in an effort to use the experience to give strength and comfort to those who had also licked the disease by facing up to it just as he did.
We will never know how many people survived because of his own bravery, his own survival and his own unselfish help of others. He is a man who believes deeply in our Nation, as our colleague from Delaware has pointed out.
Whether one agrees with everything he would say, we would agree that he has challenged us to be true to the guiding goals which our Founding Fathers set before us. Those goals have led him to such varied actions as seeking to broaden the rights of Panamanians over the canal, to opposing the absolute unwarranted use of sex and violence on the screen, and defending the right of one to write for him even though the allegations of that person’s political past would have cause them to differ substantially.
In passing this bill, we will be honoring a man who means much to America. We will also be honoring one who is deeply committed to this Nation and its ideals. By passing this bill, we will affirm them.
Chairman Annunzio: Thank you very much for your warm statement on behalf of a great American.
Our first witness this morning is the chief sponsor of the legislation, and I would personally welcome Congressman Barry M. Goldwater, Jr., of California, who is a Representative from the 20th Congressional District, to take your seat at the witness table.
Congressman Goldwater is the chief sponsor of H.R. 3767. I am a co-sponsor, along with many of my other colleagues, to the bill we are considering this morning. Congressman Goldwater is serving his sixth congressional term. He is a member of the Science and Technology Committee and the Committee on Public Works and Transportation.
Congressman, we are delighted that you are able to take time out from your busy schedule to join us this morning. And you can proceed in your own manner. If you have a prepared statement, I will ask unanimous consent that the entire statement be made part of the record. Without objection, so ordered.
STATEMENT OF HON. BARRY M. GOLDWATER, JR., A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
Mr. GOLDWATER: Thank you. Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, I want to thank you for this opportunity to appear before you today, and also for presenting the opportunity to the Congress and to the Nation to honor a truly great man.
This award is highly selective. Only 31 people have received this honor in the 20th century, and only 9 since 1960. It has been given to George Washington, to Maj. Gen. Andrew Jackson, to the Wright brothers, to Dr. Jonas Salk, Thomas Edison, and Charles Lindberg. A distinguished company, indeed—a list of America’s heroes, to which one more name will hopefully be added.
Few people are given the title “the.” There is the President, the Pope, the Queen, and the Duke. And Duke Wayne has earned his place in history and a place of special affection in the hearts of all Americans.
He is the most popular film star in history. In a recent poll, he came in second only to Abraham Lincoln as a name and face most readily recognized. In order to list all his accomplishments and honors, we would have to stay here all afternoon. So suffice it to say that this award will represent a sincere thank you from his Government and fellow citizens for a lifetime of loving his country with fierce loyalty and more than just a little pride in its goodness and despite its faults.
He was once asked what he wanted for his daughter. He replied, “I want her to be as grateful as I am, grateful for every day of my life that I wake up in the United States of America. I don’t care if she ever memorizes the Gettysburg Address, but I hope she understands it.”
Alfred E. Smith once observed, “the American people never carry an umbrella. They prepare to walk in eternal sunshine.”—and John Wayne is the embodiment of this spirit of hope to not just this country
but throughout the world.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to read excerpts from a few of the many expressions of support that have been received on behalf of this effort. I think these excerpts say it better and more eloquently than I ever could.
From Frank Sinatra:
“I believe the distinguished descendants of the brave men who bore witness to our country's fight for survival during the difficult winter at Valley Forge will reflect honor on the Nation as well as themselves by paying tribute now to John Wayne’s fight for his survival during this difficult spring in another valley.
No man’s lifetime of work has better expressed the land of the free and the home of the brave. No man’s lifetime or work has given more proof to the world that our flag is still there. John Wayne is in truth a star-spangled man whom so proudly we hail.”
From Mike Frankovich, director:
“By giving him the highest honor his country can bestow on a private citizen, the gold medal of honor, we are publicly saying: ‘Duke, your love for your country is only exceeded by your country’s love for you.’”
From Robert Aldrich, president, Directors Guild of America:
“It is important for you to know that I am a registered Democrat and, to my knowledge, share none of the political views espoused by Duke. However, whether he is ill-disposed or healthy, John Wayne is far beyond the normal political sharp-shooting in this community. Because of his courage, his dignity, his integrity, and because of his talents as an actor, his strength as a leader, his warmth as a human being throughout his illustrious career, he is entitled to a unique spot in our hearts and minds.
“In this industry, we often judge people, sometimes unfairly, by ‘asking whether they have paid their dues. John Wayne has paid his dues over and over, and I’m proud to consider him a friend, and am very much in favor of my Government recognizing in some important fashion the contribution that Mr. Wayne has made.”
From Katherine Hepburn:
“I understand that the U.S. Congress and our President are giving John Wayne a gold medal. Asked to comment, I can only say, with a heart full of love for all concerned: ‘About time.’”
From General and Mrs. Omar Bradley:
“In his heroic struggle, John Wayne represents the fighting spirit that has forged America, even now in his offering his very life to pave new roads to vanquish an old enemy. His medal should be made of the same stuff his heart is - solid gold.”
From former President Gerald R. Ford :
“His untiring efforts to improve conditions within our country and relations with other countries have made him a legend in his own time. Striking a gold medal in his honor is a well-deserved and appropriate tribute. I urge the House to concur with the Senate and pass the special bill to authorize this medal.”
From Robert F. Six, president and chairman of the board of Continental Airlines:
“John Wayne is a symbol of what is best in this country. Our great Nation has a heritage of uncompromising honesty and unyielding determination and unending courage, that are also the hallmarks of this uncommon man.”
From Robert Stack, an actor:
“I just came back from 3 months in Europe, where everyone shows concern about Mr. Wayne’s health. There has never been a member of our profession who has so impressed the world with his courage or his stature as a man. He has never appeared in a motion picture that would project a negative image of his beloved country. What you see is what you get, and what you got is a very special citizen who does our country credit.”
And finally, from Gregory Peck, an actor:
“John Wayne is loved the world over as a man who represents independence, the love of freedom and the hearty strength of character which made our country great. For audiences at home, John Wayne, through his films, remains an authentic folk hero. In this era of shifting moral values and cynicism, he has made a contribution of inestimable value to American culture and is deserving of this tribute from the American people.”
So it goes, Mr. Chairman. The testimony of those who know John Wayne best confirm the truth of the image. And I would ask the sub-committee’s permission to have printed in the hearing record the statements and tributes received from his friends and coworkers.
In closing, I would like to again thank the subcommittee for its consideration of this bill, which, by the way, has been cosponsored by over one-fourth the membership of the House, and urge that it be adopted.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Annunzio: Thank you, our distinguished colleague, Barry Goldwater. And all of the telegrams will be made part of the official record of this hearing.
[The telegrams appear at the end of the proceedings.]
I know I speak on behalf of the members of the subcommittee when I extend to you our appreciation for your very genuine, warm statement on behalf of John Wayne. I have been in the Congress for 15 years, and it has been a long time since I "have seen more than one-fourth of the Congress agree on cosponsoring legislation. It is a tribute to the man, John Wayne. I will now call the other witnesses before the table:
Mrs. Maureen O’Hara Blair, Mrs. Elizabeth Taylor Warner, Ms. Kathleen Nolan, president of the Screen Actors Guild, and Gen. Albert C. Wedemeyer.
It has been a long time since a subcommittee of Congress has had the good fortune of having so many outstanding and beautiful ladies at a hearing. And General, you are a very lucky man this morning. I would like to change places with you. [Laughter.]
Our first witness I will welcome is Mrs. Maureen O’Hara Blair, well-known to many as the queen of technicolor. For Mrs. Blair, the glamour of Hollywood was the last stop of along acting career which began in the backyard of her Dublin, Ireland, home where she entertained her childhood friends.
After continuing her acting throughout school, Mrs. Blair eventually joined the highly respected Abbey Theatre in Dublin. Her acting talents soon caught the attention of Charles Laughton, who gave her the lead role in the 1939 film “Jamaica Inn,” her major screen debut.
Mrs. Blair settled in the United States as producers grappled for the right to have her star in their films. She has starred in such movies as “How Green Was My Valley” and “Miracle on 34th Street,” and has portrayed such diverse characters as the wife of Buffalo Bill, a Spanish noblewoman, and a college dean.
Mrs. Blair acted beside John Wayne in several films, including “The Quiet Man” and “The Wings of Eagles,” in which Wayne called her “My Titian-haired Darling.”
It is a great honor to have you appear before this subcommittee today. If you have a prepared statement, I will ask unanimous consent that it be made part of the record. And now you can proceed in your own manner.
STATEMENT OF MAUREEN O’HARA BLAIR
Mrs. BLAIR: “Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee.
I don’t have a prepared statement. I came yesterday from the Virgin Islands to be here today, and it is my great honor to be here. I had a difficult time getting here because the flight was canceled into Washington and I had to come through New York.
“Yesterday in the Virgin Islands we had a golf tournament in honor of my late husband, Gen. Charles F. Blair. So I could not start until very late.
“I am happy, thrilled, delighted, and very proud to be here. In my lifetime, I have been very privileged to have known and to have met, perhaps with my connections with the motion picture industry, many great and famous men all over the world, starting with my beloved father and then my husband, Charlie Blair, and John Wayne. I think they are perhaps the three greatest men I have ever been privileged to
know.
“I have known John Wayne for 39 years, and in those 39 years. I have called him my dearest friend, my best friend. I cannot tell you the kind of man he is.
“You have listened this morning to many eloquent speeches about Duke. But it is the man that you really don’t know about. I can speak to you here as an immigrant to the United States, because I am. I can speak for the people of the world outside of the United States. And, since I am now an American citizen, I can speak for the people of the United States. I hope they will grant me the permission to do that. I think they will.
“To the people of the world, John Wayne is not just an actor, and a very fine actor, John Wayne is the United States of America. He is what they believe it to be. He is what they hope it will be. And he is what they hope it will always be.
“It is every person’s dream that the United States will be like John Wayne and always like him.
“To the immigrant, the person who is going to migrate to the United States, to this wonderful land where we all believe that the streets are paved with gold, every immigrant believes and hopes that perhaps life will be as John Wayne says it will be in the United States. Perhaps for them, and if not for them for one of their children, their sons or maybe one of their daughters will marry a man like John Wayne. And so, that is their dream of America.
“And then for people like me, who are fortunate enough to have become an American citizen and to have met and known this man, he is, believe me, the United States of America. He is a man that has a code of beliefs that he sticks with. He believes in individual responsibility and honor. He is cursed with one failing, his loyalty to friends. And it has cost him many sad moments and many happy moments. But he would never cease to be loyal ever.
“Patriotism and love for his country is something - - he doesn’t demand that everybody love the United States. He only demands of a man that he love his own country. And I think Duke lives by a phrase or a poem that we learned in school in Ireland and we applied it to my country that I was born in, too. We always said: “Breathes there a man with soul so dead who never to himself has said that, this is my own, my native land.” And Duke lives by that, believe me.
“He believes also in the adherence to the American dream. The American dream to people like me who are immigrants is enterprise, hard work, and then reward. And I think that dream still exists in the United States, where there is enterprise, hard work and reward. And he believes in that, too.
“I am afraid I could talk to you about Duke all day, all through the night and on into tomorrow without stopping.
“You have heard so much about what a wonderful man he is, but I wonder if you wonder, what kind of man is he, what is he like, what is he like at home, what is he like when he’s not in front of the public, what is he like when he’s not on the screen, what is he like when he’s with his family and his children and the people he loves. He is just the same. He doesn’t change. That is the wonderful thing about Duke—you can depend on him.
“I have never been in trouble or needed help at any time in my life that I didn’t first pick up the phone and call Duke, and within 5 minutes I had what I wanted or what I requested or what I needed. And he never asked for thank you. He wouldn’t think of that.
“He lives his own life by strict rules and strict regulations, and he adheres to those things, those rules. He expects you, his friends, and you, his countrymen, to live by the same rules and to obey those rules. But then he has a very soft heart, and if you do make a mistake he will bend those rules, not for himself, but to forgive you. And that is friendship and love.
“He has a marvelous family. He has wonderful children. He has 7 children and I think he has 21 grandchildren as of the last count. Of course, any minute it could change, but I believe it is 21. And he loves every one of them and they adore him. They hang out on him. There’s one on his arm, one on his shoulder, one hanging around his leg, and he loves them all and he loves his children. And each one of them reflect in their families the love that they have learned from sitting on his knee.
“There are many stories I could tell you about Duke, about right after the inauguration of President Carter in 1977, he sent me a postcard, and I have it, and the postcard said: “In the twilight of our lives, when the hell are you going to invite me to the Virgin Islands.”
[Laughter.]
“And so he came directly from the inauguration down to the Virgin Islands with Ms. Pat Stacy, a wonderful, wonderful lady, and stayed with Charlie Blair and me in the Virgin Islands. And every night—he loves to play chess, and he would play chess with Charlie Blair, and then they would go flying, and then you would get to talk to him. And I would say, what do you want for dinner? Steak. You say, what do you want for lunch? Steak. The next day, what would you like for dinner? Steak. You get fed up cooking steak, but that is what he loved.
“And one day he went down into the supermarket in the town of Christiansted, because he decided he should go shopping and buy some food for the house. And he started. He was neat. He looked absolutely gorgeous. And so he started filling his market basket with all the steaks that he could find. And a wonderful old black lady came up to him and she tapped him on the shoulder, and she said: “Mr. Wayne, if you are buying that meat for Mrs. Blair, you had better put it back and let me show you the meat you are to buy.”
“So she took him over and he bought all the correct meat. And he absolutely loved it. He just loved the fact that people are so good and so kind.
“And then one day he was driving a big red truck which we borrowed for him, because he won’t fit in an automobile, you know, he has to drive a truck. And he was driving down to Christiansted, and he was going slowly because he was looking on both sides of the street and ogling everything he could see. And suddenly there's a big truck behind him and they blow the horn-beep, beep, beep, beep—and told him, get out of the way. And they pull up beside him and they say, “Hey.” And he says, “Yeah.” And that was the end of it. They didn’t challenge Duke any more.
“But maybe I had better stop, because to talk about Duke—I talk from my heart. I could go on forever and ever.
“I don’t know if there are any things you would like to know about Duke. If there are any things you would like to know, I would be very happy to answer any questions you have.
“I beg you to strike the medal for Duke, to order the President to strike it. And I feel that the medal should say just one thing: ‘John Wayne, American.’”
Chairman Annunzio: Thank you very much for your warm, warm, genuinely touching statement on behalf of your dear, dear friend.
Our second witness this morning—and I would like to welcome her to the subcommittee—is Mrs. Elizabeth Taylor Warner, who needs no introduction, really, on the Hill.
Mrs. Warner has graced the screen with her presence since her film debut in “Lassie Come Home”, and now graces Washington as the wife of Virginia Senator John Warner. After leaving London, her birthplace, she moved to California, where Hollywood quickly discovered her talents and her beauty. After coming to national prominence in the film “National Velvet,” Mrs. Warner starred in dozens of films, each attracting millions of loyal followers.
To most moviegoers, Elizabeth Taylor Warner and beauty are synonymous, but her acting abilities have hardly gone unnoticed. In 1960, she was presented with an Oscar as best actress for her performance in “Butterfield 8,” and 6 years later she received another of Hollywood’s coveted awards for her moving performance in the film “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”
Again, I would like to welcome you and thank you for testifying before the subcommittee this morning. I have had the honor and the privilege of knowing you and meeting you in my home city of Chicago on several occasions. So I know that the subcommittee joins me in extending to you our welcome this morning. And you may proceed in your own manner.
STATEMENT OF ELIZABETH TAYLOR WARNER
Mrs. WARNER: “Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee.
I feel honored and privileged to be here today to make a few remarks about a friend of mine—a friend, I believe, of all of ours, no matter what our politics.
“He is emblematically American, and he has made that image good.
“He is a hero, and there are so few left. He has given much to America and he has given to the whole world what an American is supposed to be like fighting the wild west or settling the wild west, being tough as an old nut or soft as a yellow ribbon.
“He must be the biggest nonstop star in the world. But to him there is no big star or little star. He is an actor. He is—and I believe that all my cohorts will agree—the greatest pro of them all. Even since 1928, when he made his film debut, he has been helping all of us through observing his 175 performances and his manner on the set, his generosity and his kindness to all of us, no matter what our position.
“You, Mr. Chairman, and other Members of Congress must have felt the courage of John Wayne--not only how he portrayed it on the screen, reenacting for our kids to see the horrors of war, but also showing to all the generations of our era that patriotism was not corny, but brave.
“When it had to be done, it was done. Kids today, and myself, talk about cool. Well, Big John is one cool cat! He is a giant, and he will be with us always.
“Please, Mr. Chairman, let us, all of us, show him our appreciation and love by awarding him the national gold medal.
Thank you.”
Chairman Annunzio: Thank you very much, Mrs. Warner, for a warm and genuine statement.
I would like to welcome our third witness this morning, Ms. Kathleen Nolan, president of the Screen Actors Guild. To most of us, Ms. Nolan is best known for her role in the popular television series “The Real McCoys”. But her accomplishments on and off the screen go well beyond this.
As well as appearing in television series, Ms. Nolan has performed on Broadway and in feature films, and has won several awards for her performances. Since the age of 6, when she negotiated a raise for herself and fellow actors on a Mississippi showboat, Ms. Nolan has been a tireless fighter for the rights of artists and development of the film industry. Ms. Nolan was overwhelmingly selected in 1975 to become president of the Screen Actors Guild, a position formerly heldby George Murphy, Ronald Reagan, and Charlton Heston. I am sure many would agree that the talents of an acting career can be well applied to politics, and Ms. Nolan has been quite successful at both.
I am pleased that you can appear before us today.
STATEMENT OF KATHLEEN NOLAN, PRESIDENT, SCREEN ACTORS GUILD
Ms. NOLAN. “Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee.
“Mr. Wayne would certainly be in the company that he belongs in, gentlemen. The recognition of the role of the arts and artists and men and women of letters of this country has not gone unnoticed in the past by Congress in past recipients of the gold medal: George M. Cohan, Irving Berlin, Robert Frost, Bob Hope, Walt Disney, and Marian Anderson. I think that Mr. Wayne belongs in that company.
“As the Screen Actors Guild president, of course, I am very proud of all the leaders in our profession. I am also very proud of the role that actors and writers and other members of the creative community contribute to the American way of life, the everyday life of our Nation. I am proud to sit here this morning, as the president of the Screen Actors Guild, and speak about one of our most honored and honorable members, John Wayne. Of course, from the point of view of just the acting profession alone, there are many reasons why he should be receiving this gold medal that is being proposed by bill H.R. 3767.
“He spent more than 50 years in the motion picture industry, and he has made well over 150 films. He is a true movie star and of course loved and admired by people all over the world. You know, John Wayne said that he wanted to be remembered by a Spanish phrase. The rough translation of that is: “He was ugly, he was strong, and he had dignity.”
“Well , I don’t think there are many of us that would think of John Wayne as ugly, But most of us have been affected by his strength and by his dignity in fighting the onscreen battles and the dignity that he has brought to his own life.
“To bestow an honor such as this on John Wayne is truly an act that transcends personal politics. I’m sure there are some issues on which we might disagree, but what brings us together is our mutual commitment to the spirit that he represents. He represents the American spirit. And I suppose, too, what draws us, all of us, to him is his love for the magic and the mystery of our profession.
“To honor John Wayne, I think, would be to honor all artists, and to recognize the enormous contribution that is made in our society by artists. He re resents all that an artist can achieve in this country: The ability to be a part of the heritage, to help us know our history and our culture, to shape our national mythology and our definition of what a hero is.
“One of the terms most often used, I guess, about John Wayne is that he portrayed the loner. He often played the quiet man who concealed his background and his true feelings, the man who didn’t quite fit with the rest of the lives of those around him. I was thinking about some of the films in which he has played, and there is a beautiful scene at the end of a film that he made in 1956 called “The Searchers,” directed by the legendary John Ford, who was, of course, responsible for shaping much of John Wayne’s character.
“In this scene he finally succeeded in rescuing his niece, who had been captured by Comanches many years before. He brings her back to the people who will now -be her family. And one by one, each of the family members enters a cool, shady house, leaving the John Wayne character standing alone outside in the blazing sun.
“I can just see him now as he turns away and closes the door, and we leave him, once again the outsider, a man apart, and a lonely hero.
“That is not really the way we think of John Wayne, as a man somewhat apart from us, someone removed from our lives. It is not really the message that we want to convey to him now. I believe, on behalf of all of the actors and members of the Screen Actors Guild, to bestow this honor on John Wayne is, in a way, our last opening the door to this lonely hero, and finally, a way of saying we love you.
“Thank you.”
Chairman Annunzio: Thank you, Ms. Nolan.
As our last witness, I would like to welcome to the subcommittee Gen. Albert Coady Wedemeyer, U.S. Army, retired. He is a longtime close friend of actor John Wayne. General Wedemeyer’s leadership abilities helped him rise through the ranks after graduating from West Point in 1918. During World War II, he joined the planning branch of the Army’s General Staff.
His dedication and performance were recognized in 1943 when he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for his work in the strategy section of the war planning branch. Following the war, General Wedemeyer was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff of the Southeast Asia Command, and later was chosen to serve as Chief of Staff to Chiang Kai-shek of China.
Today I would once again like to commend you, General Wedemeyer, for dedicating your life to serving this country, and I appreciate that you can be with us this morning.
STATEMENT OF GEN. ALBERT COADY WEDEMEYER, U.S. ARMY, RETIRED
General WEDEMEYER: “Thank you, Mr. Chairman, gentlemen of the subcommittee.
“I welcome this opportunity to say a few words about my good friend John Wayne. Few Americans, I suppose, are unfamiliar with Wayne and his public image. We have watched him on the screen for almost half a century, from the time of the early silent films through the great days of Hollywood into the age of modern television.
“He always has been a fighter. He usually has struggled against odds, often great odds. In films, he has pitted himself, usually with a few comrades, against the forces of evil, the Nation’s enemies, and the calamities of nature. More often than not, in those struggles, the good guys have won, law and order restored to the range, the tyrant is overthrown, and the scoundrel undone.
“An American of a very appealing type—calm, kind, ruggedly handsome, uncomplicated, plain-spoken, freedom-loving, straight-shooting; wins the girl and rides off into the setting sun. We all know, as we watched and enjoyed these adventures, that we are dealing in a sense with myths. Contrary to much current opinion, however, myths are not necessarily false. They are, in fact, the things by which we live.
John Wayne, or Duke, as he is affectionately known to his friends, has, I believe, helped to create and preserve a very useful myth. He has exemplified traits Americans admire, traits they like to think of themselves as possessing. He has epitomized many of our most cherished virtues. He has affirmed for us, in an age of cynicism, some of the things of which we still can be proud and in which we still believe.
“There are some who criticize Wayne’s movies for their violence. I would point out in response that the Duke’s battles have never involved senseless, pointless or mean-spirited violence of the type that saturates today’s entertainment media. All his quarrels are undertaken for moral purposes and are fought hard but fair.
“Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes always insisted that struggle is an inevitable part of a fully-lived life. The Duke’s films, I suggest, reflect this traditional view of life and living.
“I have know Wayne since the days of World War II, when we met through our mutual good friend, the great movie director John Ford. Let me testify, on the basis of this long friendship, that John Wayne in his private life is in many ways the figure of the myth. He is decent, straightforward, loyal to friend and principle, the very soul of honor. On the other hand, there are ways in which the man and the myth seem to me to diverge. The Duke is by no means the simplistic man of action—cowboy, soldier, or whatever the films depict - but a well-educated and thoughtful citizen.
“He did very well in his studies at the University of Southern California. He has been and remains vitally interested and concerned with the great public issues of this day. Although he and I do not always agree on particular issues, I invariably have found his views to be unselfishly motivated and well thought out.
“Let me therefore, gentlemen, wholeheartedly endorse the proposal officially to recognize John Wayne. He is a dedicated patriot who has made great contribution to our national life. In honoring him, we will be affirming our attachment to some of our Nation’s most cherished values.
Thank you very much.”
Chairman Annunzio: Thank you, General, for your very excellent statement.
Now, this morning we are going to hear from the other members of the panel that have not been heard from, and then I am going to have the staff director take his seat at the witness table, so that we can begin to mark up the bill this morning, so that our witnesses, when they leave, will know the result of their testimony.
On behalf of the entire subcommittee, I want to tell you how deeply grateful we are to you, all of you, for coming long distances and short distances to talk on behalf of this legislation about a friend. I think this is what makes America great—the love and the respect that we have for each other.
And when we honor a man like John Wayne, truly, like it has been said, we honor all Americans. And I commend all of you genuinely good friends of John Wayne for being with us this morning.
And now, for a brief statement, if he would like to make a statement, Congressman Vento of Minnesota, a member of the subcommittee.
Mr. VENTO: “Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
We are seldom graced by such notables as we have here today. But truly in this instance you can leave your talents behind. The only prerequisite for testifying today I think is very obviously the sincerity and friendship and affection with which you hold a friend, who is the subject of the consideration of receiving an award here today.
“In my opinion, John Wayne was in Hie public eye—it seems like I have grown up with him and known him since I was born. But I think he is representative of many people. But when we single out his courage we celebrate all who have such spirit.
“He has had the good fortune to be cast and act out the drama of life in recent American history and to offer to us future hopes and optimism. This is reflected in the idealism of the American people, in its highest goals and aspirations.
John Wayne has delivered this message with sincerity, with intellect and with enthusiasm, for which we are all grateful. I hope that we will be successful in recognizing that today.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.”
Chairman Annunzio: Thank you very much, Congressman Vento.
And now we will hear from Congressman Henry Hyde of Illinois, who represents the suburban area outside of Chicago in Cook County.
You have all heard of Oak Park, Ill., and Cicero, and that is the area that he comes from.
Mr. HYDE. “Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I also represent O’Hare Field, and while I have the highest respect for Butch O’Hare, the hero for which it’s named, I wonder if we couldn’t once in a while misspell it to O’Hara Field. [Laughter.]
“I would like to state for the record, Mr. Chairman, that while we have heard some witnesses say they don’t agree with John Wayne on every issue, I would like the record to show I agree with him on every issue. [Laughter.]
“All of his scripts have cast him in the role of a great hero. And now, as John Wayne endures his personal Alamo, I think his example makes everyone proud to share with him a common humanity.
“There is a great line in “Camelot” where King Arthur says: ‘We’re all of us tiny drops in a vast ocean, but some of them sparkle.’ John Wayne is incandescent and lights up this whole country and this whole world. He has our admiration and certainly has our prayers.
“Mr. Chairman, at the appropriate time during markup, I will offer an amendment to line 1 on page 2, after the word ‘inscriptions,’ that will simply say, ‘John Wayne, American.’ I think that will fulfill Ms. O'Hara's suggestion, and I think it is entirely appropriate. And I thank you for the honor of letting me be here.”
Chairman Annunzio: Thank you, Mr. Hyde.
And my colleague from South Carolina, who really, like I—we are marking up the so-called election financing bill this morning in the House administration Committee, and we were both absent to be here at this meeting. You know, in our schedules there are always conflicts.
My colleague from South Carolina, would like a statement? Congressman Carroll Campbell.
Mr. CAMPBELL. “Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
Very briefly, you know, probably I think that things were stated well by Mrs. Warner when she said America has few heroes today. And that’s true, and a lot of them that are cast in the role of heroes are not deserving of it.
“But John Wayne is one of our heroes and he is well-deserving of it, and I think that is what has come out today. He epitomizes the strength of leadership in his personal courage that was talked about by Ms. Blair. And it has really helped millions to cope with their problems. I think that is the strength that we have seen in John Wayne.
“And I guess the best thing I can say, Mr. Chairman, in any of this, is that I considered him a hero and I still do consider him a hero, and so do my two sons.
Thank you.”
Chairman Annunzio: Thank you, Congressman.
Again, I thank all of the witnesses. And the meeting of the sub-committee is adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 11:10 p.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]
APPENDIX
TELEGRAMS AND EDITORIAL SUBMITTED
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: My son Bill spoke to me yesterday about your call concerning the propriety and wisdom of our country striking a medal to make a comment on the very special contribution made to the enrichment of our lives by the actor, John Wayne. I don’t know who authored this particular idea, but it is a brilliant one. I personally (as well as this Guild) support your efforts a thousand-fold, and will do whatever it is you suggest to see that this can happen. It is important for you to know I am a registered Democrat and, to my knowledge, share none of the political views espoused by Duke. However, whether he is ill-disposed or healthy, John Wayne is far beyond the normal political sharp-shooting in this community. Because of his courage, his dignity, his integrity, and because of his talents as an actor, his strength as a leader, his warmth as a human being throughout his illustrious career; he is entitled to a unique spot in our hearts and minds. In this industry, we often judge people . . . sometimes unfairly . . . by asking whether they have “paid their dues.” John Wayne has paid his dues over and over, and I’m proud to consider him a friend, and am very much in favor of my government recognizing in some important fashion the contribution that Mr. Wayne has made.
Sincerely,
ROBERT ALDRICH, President,
Directors Guild of America, Inc.
DEAR BARRY: I can’t think of a man more deserving of recognition than John Wayne. I am especially proud of my quarter-century friendship and association with him. And my admiration and respect has grown through those years. He has great stature as a man, as an actor and as an American, and is well-deserving of the special honor you have proposed for him. With all good wishes for success with
this legislation, I remain,
Sincerely yours,
JAMES ARNESS, Actor.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: If anyone has made his mark in the movies, it is John Wayne. After 45 years, he is no longer just an actor or even just a movie star; he has become an American icon, a symbol around the world, I doubt we shall ever see his like again.
Yours sincerely,
PETER BOGDANOVICH, Director.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: In his heroic struggle John Wayne represents the fighting spirit that has forged America. Even now is offering his very life to pave new roads to vanquish an old enemy. His medal should be made of the same stuff his heart is-solid gold.
General and Mrs. OMAR BRADLEY.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: I strongly believe that John Wayne should receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. He is an authentic chunk of Americana. His personal and artistic life represent the best qualities of America admired by people around the world. He has always been a strong force for the American way of life. He has personified that force privately and artistically for many, many years. The world would applaud -the action of bestowing this medal on a great American.
KIRK DOUGLAS, Actor.
DEAR BARRY: I know from 30 years personal association that John Wayne is a truly loyal American and a fine honorable man. I consider it a privilege to be among those supporting the proposed honor to be bestowed upon him by Members of the Congress in recognition of his distinguished career and his service to our country.
Most sincerely,
JOANNE DRU, Actress.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: John Wayne’s contribution to this Nation has reached far beyond the entertainment industry where he is deeply respected and admired. His untiring efforts to improve conditions within our country and relations with other countries have made him a legend in his own life time. Striking a gold medal in his honor is a well-deserved and appropriate tribute. I urge the House to concur with the Senate and pass the special bill to authorize this medal.
With warmest regards,
GERALD R. FORD, President.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: I wholeheartedly applaud your proposal to salute my close personal friend, John Wayne, with a special medal honoring not only his many contributions to the film industry but his lifelong devotion to his country.
With warm regards,
GLENN FORD, Actor.
DEAR BARRY: Thank you for honoring our dear Duke in this manner. He is more than deserving because he is a great American, a great actor, and a great friend. We are proud that he is a member of our family for more than 50 years. We congratulate him and we love him.
Mrs. JOHN FORD AND FAMILY,
(The late John Ford, Director).
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: I am including in this mailgram a brief statement about my feelings regarding the presentation of the gold medal of honor to John Wayne. I feel honored and privileged to have been asked to express my feelings on learning that “The Duke” will be receiving the gold medal of honor. Today, America officially acknowledges what millions of its citizens have known for so long and what I have known personally for the many years that John Wayne and I have been friends and co-workers. He is an actor of consummate professionalism, who has earned the respect, admiration and devotion of motion picture audiences all over the world. He is a patriot whose honesty and straightforwardness has never left any doubt as to his deep feelings for the United States of America and the men and women who built it. By giving him the highest honor his country can bestow on a private citizen—the gold medal of honor—we are publicly saying, “Duke, your love for your country is only exceeded by your country’s love for you.”
MIKE FRANKOVICH, Director.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: I heartily endorse the passage of bill, H.R. 3767, to strike a gold coin in recognition of the distinguished career of John Wayne.
PATRICK J . FRAWLEY, J r.,
Businessman and friend.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: I understand that the United States Congress and our President are giving John Wayne a gold medal. Asked to comment, I can only say with a heart full of love for all concerned: About Time.
KATHERINE HEPBURN, Actress.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: Having been close to John Wayne over the last 40 years, I can honestly say I have never known a more loyal American. His love for his country and compassion for his fellow man knows no bounds. I urge that the utmost consideration be given in respect to recognizing the services, the great spirit, and the contributions that this unique and remarkable American has made.
Respectfully,
WILLIAM HOLDEN, Actor.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: In favor of a gold medal in honor of John Wayne.
Sincerely,
BEN J OHNSON.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: John Wayne rode into the hearts of the American people with all they savvy and frontier spirit that is a part of all of us. With his hallmark, true grit and caring about his neighbors, he embodies that love of adventure and strength of character that built this country. For his gallant courage and sturdy pioneer independence in the greatest American tradition, we salute him.
With warm regards,
LADY BIRD JOHNSON,
LYNDA JOHNSON RORR,
LUCY J OHNSON NUGENT.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: I have been very fortunate over the years to have known John Wayne as a friend, as well as a partner, in many motion picture ventures. His integrity and talent have made all of us in the motion picture industry proud to be part of an industry in which he has been an undisputed leader. Motion pictures have played a great role in educating the rest of the world to the freedom and diversity and strength of our country. And no one man has contributed more to showing our country in its best light than has John Wayne. His heart is as big as he is, and that is saying a lot. I do not know of anybody with whom he has been associated, who does not have the deepest affection for him. No one is more deserving of the honor which the Congress is bestowing on him today.
ARTHUR B. KRIM,
Chairman, Orion Pictures.
DEAR BARRY GOLDWATER: I heartily agree with your plan to present John Wayne with a medal. To me, he has always represented the very finest things in American heritage—truth, honor, integrity and unflagging courage. I am proud to have worked with him over the past 30 years and I love the man.
Sincerely,
ANNA LEE, Actress.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: I am pleased and honored to add my personal, strong support to the bill you proposed to authorize President Carter to present, on behalf of the Congress of the United States, a specially struck gold medal to John Wayne. In my opinion, the Duke richly deserves this recognition and I am proud to lend my name in support of it.
JACK LEMMON, Actor.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: How appropriate that the governing body of the United States should vote a gold medal to that beautiful human being, John Wayne. It will go with his solid gold heart.
DOROTHY MANNERS, Columnist.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: In a Nation so young as ours we are blessed with far more globally popular heroes than ogres. Our mighty oak of state grows with the names of those who have defined for history the value of principle in a humane society. As these principles are tested and adopted, we broaden understanding of ourselves. As an advocate in the field of understanding John Wayne is unique. His gifted projection of the virtues of justice and equality, purpose and determination and forthright honesty have affected the American image all over the world. His living testimony to his spoken beliefs contributes respect to that image. Under the magnifying lens of mass scrutiny he has unfailingly delivered as promised. Without hesitation or exception, he loyally defends his ideals with reason and example. He has helped stamp the American brand on goods and custom universally welcomed. With strength to inspire, he shares charity with the weak. As an institution he represents the rock-solid faith of our founders in the American dream. As a man, he has achieved his place with dignity. A sturdy bough indeed, the Duke, so stands our mighty oak.
ROBERT MITCHUM, Actor.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: Please add my name to the very worthy bill you are introducing to honor John Wayne as an outstanding American. I know of no other person in both his personal and professional career who has done as much to uphold the tradition of the individual spirit of Americanism.
LLOYD NOLAN, Actor.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: No contemporary American reflects as keenly glass country's character of individuality and pride in its heritage as does John Wayne. As an actor and as a man, he is one of our most eloquent spokesmen and ambassadors. To express to him our awareness of and appreciation for his contributions should be indeed our honor.
MERLE OBERON, Actress.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: What has impressed me most as a friend of John Wayne for more than 40 years has been his unchanging personality as he grew in stature from an actor, then a star, and finally a superstar. He has remained the same Duke Wayne I knew from the beginning—unselfish, generous, open-handed, open hearted and steadfast to the same ideals. Anyone who knows Duke well, and has not trepassed on his friendship, knows that once a friend, this engaging gentleman is always a friend. Indeed, loyalty is more than a special word with him. It is a daily practice that has endeared him to his family, his personal friends and, of course, to the people of his profession. No matter what the rank or position of a friend, or no matter what lofty heights to which Duke rose in his profession, and in the world's esteem, he never changed. He is the same man today that I met more than 40 years ago. He has walked and talked with Presidents and with Kings and Queens, but it has never affected his ego in the least, nor has it compromised his devotion and friendship to those below him. And the honors that have been bestowed upon him, the genuine affection showered on him by the public have made him even more conscious of the need to share this applause with his old friends. That he has endeared himself to hundreds and millions of people around the world through his accomplishments as a hero of the screen is a matter of record.
But what is not a matter of record is that long ago, he became a hero to all of those privileged to know him as a friend. And their love for him, and his love for them, has never waivered. I have been with him on movie sets in Mexico, in his home in California and in my own home in Michigan. We have raised a toast in many cities in both this country and elsewhere, but he is always the same unpretentious, unafraid, informal, regular guy that you see on the screen and in person. No man alive can play himself better than the Duke. He speaks his mind, but not with rancor. He lives his life with honor and dignity. He loves his country with a passion. He is more than a superstar. He is a Superman. And I am proud to call him “friend.”
OSCAR L. OLSON, President, Olsinite Corp.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: I am pleased to lend my support to the movement for a special Congressional award for John Wayne, an honorable man who has exemplified traditional American virtues in films for 50 years. For audiences abroad, our films are a window opening on the American way of life. John Wayne is loved the world over as a man who represents independence, the love of freedom and the hardy strength of character which made our country great. For audiences at home, John Wayne through his films remains an authentic folk hero. In this era of shifting moral values and cynicism, he has made a contribution of inestimable value to American culture and is deserving of this tribute from the American people.
GREGORY PECK, Actor.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: I am pleased to have this opportunity to urge the passage of H.R. 3767, which would authorize the President of the United States to present on behalf of the Congress a specially-struck gold medal honoring my good friend John Wayne. “Duke” Wayne has received many honors, tributes, and accolades, and all of them have been richly deserved. I can simply say that there is no one in America I can think of more deserving of the special honor you are now considering than John Wayne. There is no one who exemplifies the devotion to our country, its goodness, its industry and its strengths better than John Wayne. Duke Wayne’s service to our country, not only in his chosen profession, but as a public servant in the truest sense of the term, certainly qualifies him for this honor. It will be a tribute not only to John Wayne, the man, but also to those high standards and ideals to which he is dedicated. I urge the favorable consideration of H.R. 3767.
Thank you,
RONALD REAGAN.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: It has been my privilege to know John Wayne for a considerable number of years as a man, actor and citizen. He captured me as a fan in all three of these categories. John Wayne has been honored time and again not only for his fine professional achievements, but as a good American, and an outstanding citizen. His aggressive fight in combating his past and current illness is a source of admiration and should serve as a beacon light of hope for many the world over. I salute you, John, and wish you well.
RANDOLPH Scott,
Actor and Businessman.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: I regret I am unable to appear before you and the Members of the House Banking Committee on Monday, May 21, 1979 for the purpose of urging immediate and favorable action regarding the passing of a bill to honor the distinguished motion picture actor, John Wayne.
Please consider this letter as my strongest endorsement. I believe it is altogether fitting and proper that the Congress do this in the week of Mr. Wayne’s 72d birthday, which falls on Saturday, May 26, 1979.
For over half a century, Mr. Wayne has served honorably as America’s symbol to the world of the highest morals and prudent standards of our society. For a quarter of the very lifetime of the Republic, he has carried the torch of American decency to other peoples in other lands through his motion pictures.
Even today Mr. Wayne continues to express the worthiest characteristics of the American way of life to the far corners of the earth in memorable motion pictures continuously being exported and shown and reshown to untold millions all over the world. Truly he remains to be the ambassador of America's goodwill and sense of fair play. I believe the distinguished descendants of the brave men who bore witness to our country’s fight for survival during the difficult winter at Valley Forge will reflect honor on the nation as well as themselves by paying tribute now to John Wayne’s fight for his survival during this difficult spring in another valley. No man’s lifetime of work has better expressed the land of the free and the home of the brave. No man’s lifetime or work has given more proof to the world that our flag is still there. John Wayne is in truth a star-spangled man whom so proudly we hail. I commend you, Mr. Congressman, all Members of the Banking Committee, as well as all Members of the House of Representatives, for your action in this matter, and wish you God’s speed in your deliberation.
Respectfully,
FRANK SINATRA,
Actor and entertainer. ..
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: John Wayne is a symbol of what is best in this country. Our great nation has a heritage of uncompromising honesty, unyielding determination and unending courage. These are also the hallmarks of this uncommon man. It is altogether fitting and proper that we pay tribute to an individual who has conducted himself so well and so bravely in his public and private life that his name has become synonymous with the spirit of America.
ROBERT F. SIX, President,
Continental Airlines.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATERI I was overjoyed to hear our country is going to honor my old friend, John Wayne. I’ve known Duke for most of my life and he has consistently represented the best of our profession has to offer. He has never failed to show his love for America and his pride in being a citizen. Duke transcends the political left and right. He sounds more like Kit Carson or an Indian scout protecting his wagon train. At a time when polarization seems to be the problem of the day, he sincerely echoes the sentiments of the gentlemen on Mount Rushmore. Old fashioned? Patriotism is never old fashioned.
I just came back from three months in Europe where everyone shows concern about his health. There has never been a member of our profession who has so impressed the world with his courage or his stature as a man. He has never appeared in a motion picture that would project a negative image of his beloved country. There is no artifice to this man. What you see is what you get, and what you got is a very special citizen who does our country credit.
ROBERT STACK, Actor.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: The close friends and associates of John Wayne urge your active and enthusiastic support of the bill now before the House Banking and Currency Committee which will authorize the issuance of a gold medal to Mr. Wayne in recognition of his outstanding contributions to our country. We can think of no other American who is more deserving of this honor. We thank you for your support of this measure.
Dr. JULES STEIN,
Chairman of the Board, Emeritus,
Music Corporation of America.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER In regard to your bill which authorizes the President to present on behalf of the Congress an especially struck gold medal to honor John Wayne, I sincerely believe that John Wayne is completely deserving of such an honor. I have known him for many years and I have found him to be a man of great strength and vitality and honesty. His love of country is something very special. Because he has been able to put these personal qualities into the characters he has played on film, he has done a tremendous service to his fellow Americans and to the world.
Sincerely,
JAMES STEWART, Actor.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: I strongly support the gold coin of John Wayne. He has been a great asset to his profession and country.
ROBERT F. THOMPSON, Businessman.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: Having known John Wayne for 42 years most personally and professionally, I know that his contribution to this country and its society has been outstanding. He is unique and one in a million. He is a loyal American and has given years of his life to what he thinks is best for all of us. Please add my name to the supporters of the effort to have him honored by Members of the Congress.
CLAIRE TREVOR, Actress.
DEAR BARRY: I can’t tell you how pleased I am that you and your colleagues in Congress are initiating the appropriate action to honor a man I unreservedly regard as one of the great American patriots of this century, John Wayne. In the 40 years I have worked and played with Duke, my admiration of his superior achievements entertaining and inspiring generations of American youth with his countless movies, his fierce loyalty to, and outspoken love for his country, has been boundless. I am proud, far beyond mere words, to know John Wayne and fervently wish that every American would know him so well.
Sincerely,
FORREST TUCKER, Actor.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: As a long-time friend of John Wayne, I support any efforts to make a special award to him. His contribution to the film world and society as a whole makes one proud to know him.
Sincerely,
ROBERT WAGNER, Actor.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: I thoroughly approve your recommending to Congress a bill to authorize a medal to honor John Wayne for his distinguished career and service to the nation.
C. V. WHITNEY,
Businessman and friend.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: As a friend of John Wayne, I sincerely hope he is honored because of his contribution to the United States as an outstanding citizen, and his example of extreme courage and bravery. He is an example to all of us.
Sincerely,
NATALIE WOOD.
[From the U.S. News and World Report, May 28, 1979]
A HERD TO FIT THE IMAGE
(By Marvin Stone)
John Wayne was again hospitalized, fighting a difficult battle, as he headed toward his 72nd birthday, May 26. In wishing him a happy birthday, our thoughts went back 25 years to our first meeting with the man on a movie set in Japan. We discovered then, as millions have since, that John Wayne is far more than a movie actor. He is the personification of courage and conviction in an age when both are in scant supply.
The reasons John Wayne is one of the most admired men in the United States are as important as the fact. He has become a symbol of the virtues and the strengths that Americans like to believe are typical of their country.
Courage? Wayne has shown that repeatedly. His left lung was removed in 1964. He had open-heart surgery in 1978. Last January surgeons removed his cancerous stomach. Now he is again determined to win against great odds.
“He has a tremendous will to live,” says Bernard Strohm, administrator of the UCLA Hospital in Los Angeles where Wayne’s stomach was removed. Physically a strong man, John Wayne has clung to -personal beliefs as rugged as his body, refusing to temper those beliefs to go with the prevailing winds.
At a time when the Vietnam War was widely unpopular, in 1968, Wayne backed the government’s prosecution of that war by insisting on going through with the film “The Green Berets." Like most of Wayne’s ventures, the film was successful, despite derision from some.
Although fiercely loyal to the Republican Party, Wayne has shown his independence on candidates and issues. When his candidate, Ronald Reagan, failed to get the presidential nomination in 1976, Wayne worked hard for the party choice, Gerald Ford. In the fight over the Panama Canal treaties, Wayne did his own thinking and decided he generally favored them. That bucked the conservative position.
Wayne demonstrated his loyalty to old friends when he joined Republicans attending Richard Nixon’s $250-per-person cocktail reception at San Clemente in August of 1978.
Katharine Hepburn, writing about Wayne in the TV Guide magazine in 1977, said this: “Politically he is a reactionary. He suffers from a point of view based entirely on his own experience. He was surrounded in his early years in the motion-picture business by people like himself. Self-made. Hard working. Independent. Of the style of man who blazed the trails across our country. Who reached out into the unknown. People who were willing to live or die entirely on their own independent judgment.”
Pete Dailey, an advertising executive who has worked with Wayne, says: “He is viewed as somebody who is a rock of unchanging values. He projects a basic sense of honesty and understanding, and strong Puritan values. His image grew as he grew older. People have been exposed to him over a long period of time.”
Wayne began making movies in 1928, while a student at the University of Southern California. He churned out many Westerns before he made his first big hit in “Stagecoach” in 1939. He won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Rooster Cogburn in “True Grit” in 1969. His last full-length feature was “The Shootist,” released in 1976, in which he played the part of an old gunfighter, dying of cancer.
During the last half century, Wayne has made some 200 films Often he played roles that his ancestors had lived—as pioneers, Indian fighters, fur traders and covered wagon travelers, helping to settle America over a period of many, many decades. “People see John Wayne in the roles he played,” says a longtime Hollywood observer. “In the main, he has personified the rugged American of the frontier, who made the country great.” Folks today are looking for heroes, and there aren’t many around. But in John Wayne, people of all political shadings have found one to fit the image.
Present: Representatives Annunzio, Vento, Fauntroy, and Evans of Delaware.
Also present: Representatives Barnard, Hyden, and Campbell.
Chairman ANNUNZIO: The meeting of the Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs will come to order. This morning the Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs will hold hearings to consider H.R. 3767, which would authorize the President to present a gold medal to actor John Wayne. This legislation also would permit the Treasury to produce bronze replicas of the medal for sale to the general public.
[The text of H.R. 3767 follows]
96TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
To authorize the President of the United States, to present on behalf of the Congress a specially struck gold medal to John Wayne.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 26, 1979 Mr. GOLDWATER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs
A BILL
To authorize the President of the United States to present on behalf of the Congress a specially struck gold medal to John Wayne.
Be it enacted-by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That (a) the President of the United States is authorized to present, on behalf of the Congress, to John Wayne, a gold medal of appropriate design in recognition of his distinguished career as an actor and his service to the Nation. For such purpose, the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized
and directed to cause to be struck a gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions to be determined by the Secretary of the Treasury. There are authorized to be appropriated not to exceed $5,000 to carry out the provisions of this subsection.
(b) The Secretary of the Treasury may cause duplicates in bronze of such medal to be struck and sold at not less than the estimated cost of manufacture, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses, plus 25 percent of such cost of manufacture. The appropriation then current and chargeable for the cost of manufacture of such duplicate medals shall be fully reimbursed from the payment required by this section and received by the Secretary, except that any money received in excess of the actual cost of manufacture of such duplicate medals shall from time to time be covered into the Treasury. Security satisfactory to the Director of the Mint shall be furnished to indemnify the United States fully for the payment required by this section.
(c) The medals provided for in this Act are national medals for the purpose of section 3551 of the Revised Statutes (31 U.S.C. 368).
Chairman ANNUNZIO: John Wayne has properly been called the “last of Hollywood’s old time superheroes,” but this simple label cannot do justice to the man and the influence' he has had on millions of the world’s moviegoers. The star of hundreds of westerns, adventures, and even comedies, John Wayne continues in a career which has spanned four decades of film making. His growth as an actor and an individual has paralleled the development of this Nation in the last half-century. More important, he has helped the United States to grow in spirit and recover from periodic setbacks, as he has done in his own life.
Duke, as he is fondly known to all, was born in Iowa but moved to California at the age of 6 years. After studying at the University of Southern California, John Wayne was drawn by the magic of the cinema. He began his career as a stuntman, a position his large, 6-foot, 4-inch frame was well suited for.
After appearing in small roles in several films, Duke caught the eye of the famous director John Ford, who starred Wayne in the classic film, “Stagecoach.” There was no stopping Wayne’s career at this point, as each successive film became a box office hit. His greatest movies include “Red River,” “Sands of Iwo Jima,” “Rio Bravo,” and “True Grit,” for which he was awarded an Oscar in 1970 for his portrayal of a cantankerous western marshal.
John Wayne might easily have retired comfortably from his career as an actor in 1964, when his cancerous left lung was removed. Instead, a few months after the surgery, an undaunted Wayne was back on the set, where he could be found almost every day since. John Wayne’s indomitable presence on the silver screen has been enjoyed by countless millions of fans across the globe. Few performers
have achieved greater prominence, and none have retained their popularity as long as Duke.
The force of his character is pointed out by the fact that barely week can go by that a John Wayne film does not appear on television. Even on the small screen, Duke is not reduced in stature. He has left an indelible record of American life which future generations may enjoy as much as those in the past have.
John Wayne never considered that the entertainment he provided was sufficient service to his country, however. From his youngest days, Duke threw himself in to the political arena, and continues to work to preserve and foster the ideals he has advocated on and off the screen. From stuntman to folk hero, Wayne has taken the path which gives us a model of what individuals can achieve in this country. John
Wayne has already received an Oscar from his supporters in Hollywood, and now it is time for his fans and supporters in the Congress to give him the “Congressional Oscar.”
I have letters addressed to me, Congressman Frank Annunzio, from President Carter and from Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Association of America. I ask unanimous consent that these letters be made a part of the record. And, without objection, it is so ordered.
[The letters follow]
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
May 21, 1979
The Honorable Frank Annunzio, Chairman-Subcommittee
on Consumer Affairs Committee on Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
To Congressman Frank Annunzio,
I understand that your Subcommittee is holding hearings on H.R. 3767, a bill which Would authorize the issuance of a special Gold Medal to John Wayne for his outstanding service. I want to add my voice to those of the many supporters of this legislation.
John Wayne personifies the true American character. He serves as a symbol of courage and self—reliance in the finest of our Nation's traditions. His true grit helped to win the West, World War II, and
the hearts of thousands of us across the country and the world. You have my full support for your efforts to honor John Wayne with a Gold Medal.
Sincerely,
(signed) Jimmy Carter
Motion Picture Association
of America, Inc.
1600 Eye Street, Northwest
Washington, D.C. 20006
JACK VALENTI, President
May 16, 1979
The Honorable
Frank Annunzio
U.S. House of Representatives
2303 Rayburn Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Because I will be out of the country when you conduct your hearings, I ask permission for this statement to be entered in the record and made part of these proceedings.
The resolution of the Congress to recommend awarding to John Wayne a Gold Medal may be one of the most appropriate resolves ever taken by this Congress. Duke Wayne is such an extraordinary legend that one is tempted to enlarge the truth when the truth is perfectly adequate for either summit or sermon. If the sum of an American artist is deemed to be the illuminated expression of this nation, then Duke Wayne's life and achievements fit the gauge. For fifty years he has stalked outlaws, exterminated villainy, protected the innocent, explored the wilderness, forded rivers, driven cattle, and most of all, loved the land and his country. Beyond any doubt, he is the quintessential American and to the people in the United States he is a brave, noble and heroic man.
This Gold Medal will earn new luster when it is worn by John Wayne.
Sincerely,
(signed) Jack Valenti
I now want to ask the ranking Republican on the Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs from Delaware, Thomas B. Evans, Jr., if he would like to make a brief statement.
Mr. Evans: Mr. Chairman, I thank you very much. I would like to make a brief statement on the Republican side. I am very happy to join in this bipartisan ‘tribute to a great American and, I might add, a great Republican as well. We are happy to have your support for that, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Annunzio: We are not talking politics today.
Mr. Evans: We are certainly not. It is bipartisan.
I want to tell you, Mr. Chairman, that I used to go to the movies in my hometown of Seaford, Del., where I grew up, for 11 cents. I went again and again to see John Wayne. He was worth a lot more than 11 cents, but for a young man in his early teens, that 11 cents came pretty hard. But I learned a lot from John Wayne and I think America learned a lot from John Wayne, because he set the standards for American manhood. He was and still is tough. He is courageous; he was courageous; he will continue to be courageous. He displayed the self-reliance in the movies that he has always displayed as an individual.
He was and is a very fair individual. Although tough, he was willing and did have concern for other people, just as we as a nation should and do have concern. But we should make sure that everyone knows that we have the will to resist. That is something that John Wayne did in the movies. He displayed toughness and concern, and he let everyone know, friend or foe, large or small, he was going to resist if there was unfairness.
I think it is a message that we should heed today. He instilled tremendous pride in this great country, and he loves the United States of America. He is true patriot, who energetically supports the fundamental values which have made and will continue to make America what it is today.
And so, I am most pleased and very privileged and honored, Mr. Chairman, to join with you, to join with all of us in honoring a great man. I think by honoring him, we also honor a great country.
Chairman Annunzio: Thank you, Congressman Evans, for an outstanding statement.
I have been asked by the Delegate of the District of Columbia if he could make a statement, and I am going to have Congressman Walter Fauntroy make his statement at this time.
Mr. FAUNTROY: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
It is with a great deal of personal pleasure that I support and co-sponsor this bill, through which we will be honoring one of the true great men of our time, one who has truly moved like a giant across the backdrop of our country. Not only is John Wayne one of the finest actors ever to grace the screen, but he is also a person who has used his God-given talent to help others and their causes.
Someone has said that history is nourished by instructive example. Well, the instructive example, the life and the work of John Wayne, has served to enrich the public service. He was among the first public figures to reveal that he had surgery to remove a malignant tumor on his left lung; and, instead of hiding the fact in fear that it might adversely affect his image, he called a press conference to announce the fact in an effort to use the experience to give strength and comfort to those who had also licked the disease by facing up to it just as he did.
We will never know how many people survived because of his own bravery, his own survival and his own unselfish help of others. He is a man who believes deeply in our Nation, as our colleague from Delaware has pointed out.
Whether one agrees with everything he would say, we would agree that he has challenged us to be true to the guiding goals which our Founding Fathers set before us. Those goals have led him to such varied actions as seeking to broaden the rights of Panamanians over the canal, to opposing the absolute unwarranted use of sex and violence on the screen, and defending the right of one to write for him even though the allegations of that person’s political past would have cause them to differ substantially.
In passing this bill, we will be honoring a man who means much to America. We will also be honoring one who is deeply committed to this Nation and its ideals. By passing this bill, we will affirm them.
Chairman Annunzio: Thank you very much for your warm statement on behalf of a great American.
Our first witness this morning is the chief sponsor of the legislation, and I would personally welcome Congressman Barry M. Goldwater, Jr., of California, who is a Representative from the 20th Congressional District, to take your seat at the witness table.
Congressman Goldwater is the chief sponsor of H.R. 3767. I am a co-sponsor, along with many of my other colleagues, to the bill we are considering this morning. Congressman Goldwater is serving his sixth congressional term. He is a member of the Science and Technology Committee and the Committee on Public Works and Transportation.
Congressman, we are delighted that you are able to take time out from your busy schedule to join us this morning. And you can proceed in your own manner. If you have a prepared statement, I will ask unanimous consent that the entire statement be made part of the record. Without objection, so ordered.
STATEMENT OF HON. BARRY M. GOLDWATER, JR., A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
Mr. GOLDWATER: Thank you. Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, I want to thank you for this opportunity to appear before you today, and also for presenting the opportunity to the Congress and to the Nation to honor a truly great man.
This award is highly selective. Only 31 people have received this honor in the 20th century, and only 9 since 1960. It has been given to George Washington, to Maj. Gen. Andrew Jackson, to the Wright brothers, to Dr. Jonas Salk, Thomas Edison, and Charles Lindberg. A distinguished company, indeed—a list of America’s heroes, to which one more name will hopefully be added.
Few people are given the title “the.” There is the President, the Pope, the Queen, and the Duke. And Duke Wayne has earned his place in history and a place of special affection in the hearts of all Americans.
He is the most popular film star in history. In a recent poll, he came in second only to Abraham Lincoln as a name and face most readily recognized. In order to list all his accomplishments and honors, we would have to stay here all afternoon. So suffice it to say that this award will represent a sincere thank you from his Government and fellow citizens for a lifetime of loving his country with fierce loyalty and more than just a little pride in its goodness and despite its faults.
He was once asked what he wanted for his daughter. He replied, “I want her to be as grateful as I am, grateful for every day of my life that I wake up in the United States of America. I don’t care if she ever memorizes the Gettysburg Address, but I hope she understands it.”
Alfred E. Smith once observed, “the American people never carry an umbrella. They prepare to walk in eternal sunshine.”—and John Wayne is the embodiment of this spirit of hope to not just this country
but throughout the world.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to read excerpts from a few of the many expressions of support that have been received on behalf of this effort. I think these excerpts say it better and more eloquently than I ever could.
From Frank Sinatra:
“I believe the distinguished descendants of the brave men who bore witness to our country's fight for survival during the difficult winter at Valley Forge will reflect honor on the Nation as well as themselves by paying tribute now to John Wayne’s fight for his survival during this difficult spring in another valley.
No man’s lifetime of work has better expressed the land of the free and the home of the brave. No man’s lifetime or work has given more proof to the world that our flag is still there. John Wayne is in truth a star-spangled man whom so proudly we hail.”
From Mike Frankovich, director:
“By giving him the highest honor his country can bestow on a private citizen, the gold medal of honor, we are publicly saying: ‘Duke, your love for your country is only exceeded by your country’s love for you.’”
From Robert Aldrich, president, Directors Guild of America:
“It is important for you to know that I am a registered Democrat and, to my knowledge, share none of the political views espoused by Duke. However, whether he is ill-disposed or healthy, John Wayne is far beyond the normal political sharp-shooting in this community. Because of his courage, his dignity, his integrity, and because of his talents as an actor, his strength as a leader, his warmth as a human being throughout his illustrious career, he is entitled to a unique spot in our hearts and minds.
“In this industry, we often judge people, sometimes unfairly, by ‘asking whether they have paid their dues. John Wayne has paid his dues over and over, and I’m proud to consider him a friend, and am very much in favor of my Government recognizing in some important fashion the contribution that Mr. Wayne has made.”
From Katherine Hepburn:
“I understand that the U.S. Congress and our President are giving John Wayne a gold medal. Asked to comment, I can only say, with a heart full of love for all concerned: ‘About time.’”
From General and Mrs. Omar Bradley:
“In his heroic struggle, John Wayne represents the fighting spirit that has forged America, even now in his offering his very life to pave new roads to vanquish an old enemy. His medal should be made of the same stuff his heart is - solid gold.”
From former President Gerald R. Ford :
“His untiring efforts to improve conditions within our country and relations with other countries have made him a legend in his own time. Striking a gold medal in his honor is a well-deserved and appropriate tribute. I urge the House to concur with the Senate and pass the special bill to authorize this medal.”
From Robert F. Six, president and chairman of the board of Continental Airlines:
“John Wayne is a symbol of what is best in this country. Our great Nation has a heritage of uncompromising honesty and unyielding determination and unending courage, that are also the hallmarks of this uncommon man.”
From Robert Stack, an actor:
“I just came back from 3 months in Europe, where everyone shows concern about Mr. Wayne’s health. There has never been a member of our profession who has so impressed the world with his courage or his stature as a man. He has never appeared in a motion picture that would project a negative image of his beloved country. What you see is what you get, and what you got is a very special citizen who does our country credit.”
And finally, from Gregory Peck, an actor:
“John Wayne is loved the world over as a man who represents independence, the love of freedom and the hearty strength of character which made our country great. For audiences at home, John Wayne, through his films, remains an authentic folk hero. In this era of shifting moral values and cynicism, he has made a contribution of inestimable value to American culture and is deserving of this tribute from the American people.”
So it goes, Mr. Chairman. The testimony of those who know John Wayne best confirm the truth of the image. And I would ask the sub-committee’s permission to have printed in the hearing record the statements and tributes received from his friends and coworkers.
In closing, I would like to again thank the subcommittee for its consideration of this bill, which, by the way, has been cosponsored by over one-fourth the membership of the House, and urge that it be adopted.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Annunzio: Thank you, our distinguished colleague, Barry Goldwater. And all of the telegrams will be made part of the official record of this hearing.
[The telegrams appear at the end of the proceedings.]
I know I speak on behalf of the members of the subcommittee when I extend to you our appreciation for your very genuine, warm statement on behalf of John Wayne. I have been in the Congress for 15 years, and it has been a long time since I "have seen more than one-fourth of the Congress agree on cosponsoring legislation. It is a tribute to the man, John Wayne. I will now call the other witnesses before the table:
Mrs. Maureen O’Hara Blair, Mrs. Elizabeth Taylor Warner, Ms. Kathleen Nolan, president of the Screen Actors Guild, and Gen. Albert C. Wedemeyer.
It has been a long time since a subcommittee of Congress has had the good fortune of having so many outstanding and beautiful ladies at a hearing. And General, you are a very lucky man this morning. I would like to change places with you. [Laughter.]
Our first witness I will welcome is Mrs. Maureen O’Hara Blair, well-known to many as the queen of technicolor. For Mrs. Blair, the glamour of Hollywood was the last stop of along acting career which began in the backyard of her Dublin, Ireland, home where she entertained her childhood friends.
After continuing her acting throughout school, Mrs. Blair eventually joined the highly respected Abbey Theatre in Dublin. Her acting talents soon caught the attention of Charles Laughton, who gave her the lead role in the 1939 film “Jamaica Inn,” her major screen debut.
Mrs. Blair settled in the United States as producers grappled for the right to have her star in their films. She has starred in such movies as “How Green Was My Valley” and “Miracle on 34th Street,” and has portrayed such diverse characters as the wife of Buffalo Bill, a Spanish noblewoman, and a college dean.
Mrs. Blair acted beside John Wayne in several films, including “The Quiet Man” and “The Wings of Eagles,” in which Wayne called her “My Titian-haired Darling.”
It is a great honor to have you appear before this subcommittee today. If you have a prepared statement, I will ask unanimous consent that it be made part of the record. And now you can proceed in your own manner.
STATEMENT OF MAUREEN O’HARA BLAIR
Mrs. BLAIR: “Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee.
I don’t have a prepared statement. I came yesterday from the Virgin Islands to be here today, and it is my great honor to be here. I had a difficult time getting here because the flight was canceled into Washington and I had to come through New York.
“Yesterday in the Virgin Islands we had a golf tournament in honor of my late husband, Gen. Charles F. Blair. So I could not start until very late.
“I am happy, thrilled, delighted, and very proud to be here. In my lifetime, I have been very privileged to have known and to have met, perhaps with my connections with the motion picture industry, many great and famous men all over the world, starting with my beloved father and then my husband, Charlie Blair, and John Wayne. I think they are perhaps the three greatest men I have ever been privileged to
know.
“I have known John Wayne for 39 years, and in those 39 years. I have called him my dearest friend, my best friend. I cannot tell you the kind of man he is.
“You have listened this morning to many eloquent speeches about Duke. But it is the man that you really don’t know about. I can speak to you here as an immigrant to the United States, because I am. I can speak for the people of the world outside of the United States. And, since I am now an American citizen, I can speak for the people of the United States. I hope they will grant me the permission to do that. I think they will.
“To the people of the world, John Wayne is not just an actor, and a very fine actor, John Wayne is the United States of America. He is what they believe it to be. He is what they hope it will be. And he is what they hope it will always be.
“It is every person’s dream that the United States will be like John Wayne and always like him.
“To the immigrant, the person who is going to migrate to the United States, to this wonderful land where we all believe that the streets are paved with gold, every immigrant believes and hopes that perhaps life will be as John Wayne says it will be in the United States. Perhaps for them, and if not for them for one of their children, their sons or maybe one of their daughters will marry a man like John Wayne. And so, that is their dream of America.
“And then for people like me, who are fortunate enough to have become an American citizen and to have met and known this man, he is, believe me, the United States of America. He is a man that has a code of beliefs that he sticks with. He believes in individual responsibility and honor. He is cursed with one failing, his loyalty to friends. And it has cost him many sad moments and many happy moments. But he would never cease to be loyal ever.
“Patriotism and love for his country is something - - he doesn’t demand that everybody love the United States. He only demands of a man that he love his own country. And I think Duke lives by a phrase or a poem that we learned in school in Ireland and we applied it to my country that I was born in, too. We always said: “Breathes there a man with soul so dead who never to himself has said that, this is my own, my native land.” And Duke lives by that, believe me.
“He believes also in the adherence to the American dream. The American dream to people like me who are immigrants is enterprise, hard work, and then reward. And I think that dream still exists in the United States, where there is enterprise, hard work and reward. And he believes in that, too.
“I am afraid I could talk to you about Duke all day, all through the night and on into tomorrow without stopping.
“You have heard so much about what a wonderful man he is, but I wonder if you wonder, what kind of man is he, what is he like, what is he like at home, what is he like when he’s not in front of the public, what is he like when he’s not on the screen, what is he like when he’s with his family and his children and the people he loves. He is just the same. He doesn’t change. That is the wonderful thing about Duke—you can depend on him.
“I have never been in trouble or needed help at any time in my life that I didn’t first pick up the phone and call Duke, and within 5 minutes I had what I wanted or what I requested or what I needed. And he never asked for thank you. He wouldn’t think of that.
“He lives his own life by strict rules and strict regulations, and he adheres to those things, those rules. He expects you, his friends, and you, his countrymen, to live by the same rules and to obey those rules. But then he has a very soft heart, and if you do make a mistake he will bend those rules, not for himself, but to forgive you. And that is friendship and love.
“He has a marvelous family. He has wonderful children. He has 7 children and I think he has 21 grandchildren as of the last count. Of course, any minute it could change, but I believe it is 21. And he loves every one of them and they adore him. They hang out on him. There’s one on his arm, one on his shoulder, one hanging around his leg, and he loves them all and he loves his children. And each one of them reflect in their families the love that they have learned from sitting on his knee.
“There are many stories I could tell you about Duke, about right after the inauguration of President Carter in 1977, he sent me a postcard, and I have it, and the postcard said: “In the twilight of our lives, when the hell are you going to invite me to the Virgin Islands.”
[Laughter.]
“And so he came directly from the inauguration down to the Virgin Islands with Ms. Pat Stacy, a wonderful, wonderful lady, and stayed with Charlie Blair and me in the Virgin Islands. And every night—he loves to play chess, and he would play chess with Charlie Blair, and then they would go flying, and then you would get to talk to him. And I would say, what do you want for dinner? Steak. You say, what do you want for lunch? Steak. The next day, what would you like for dinner? Steak. You get fed up cooking steak, but that is what he loved.
“And one day he went down into the supermarket in the town of Christiansted, because he decided he should go shopping and buy some food for the house. And he started. He was neat. He looked absolutely gorgeous. And so he started filling his market basket with all the steaks that he could find. And a wonderful old black lady came up to him and she tapped him on the shoulder, and she said: “Mr. Wayne, if you are buying that meat for Mrs. Blair, you had better put it back and let me show you the meat you are to buy.”
“So she took him over and he bought all the correct meat. And he absolutely loved it. He just loved the fact that people are so good and so kind.
“And then one day he was driving a big red truck which we borrowed for him, because he won’t fit in an automobile, you know, he has to drive a truck. And he was driving down to Christiansted, and he was going slowly because he was looking on both sides of the street and ogling everything he could see. And suddenly there's a big truck behind him and they blow the horn-beep, beep, beep, beep—and told him, get out of the way. And they pull up beside him and they say, “Hey.” And he says, “Yeah.” And that was the end of it. They didn’t challenge Duke any more.
“But maybe I had better stop, because to talk about Duke—I talk from my heart. I could go on forever and ever.
“I don’t know if there are any things you would like to know about Duke. If there are any things you would like to know, I would be very happy to answer any questions you have.
“I beg you to strike the medal for Duke, to order the President to strike it. And I feel that the medal should say just one thing: ‘John Wayne, American.’”
Chairman Annunzio: Thank you very much for your warm, warm, genuinely touching statement on behalf of your dear, dear friend.
Our second witness this morning—and I would like to welcome her to the subcommittee—is Mrs. Elizabeth Taylor Warner, who needs no introduction, really, on the Hill.
Mrs. Warner has graced the screen with her presence since her film debut in “Lassie Come Home”, and now graces Washington as the wife of Virginia Senator John Warner. After leaving London, her birthplace, she moved to California, where Hollywood quickly discovered her talents and her beauty. After coming to national prominence in the film “National Velvet,” Mrs. Warner starred in dozens of films, each attracting millions of loyal followers.
To most moviegoers, Elizabeth Taylor Warner and beauty are synonymous, but her acting abilities have hardly gone unnoticed. In 1960, she was presented with an Oscar as best actress for her performance in “Butterfield 8,” and 6 years later she received another of Hollywood’s coveted awards for her moving performance in the film “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”
Again, I would like to welcome you and thank you for testifying before the subcommittee this morning. I have had the honor and the privilege of knowing you and meeting you in my home city of Chicago on several occasions. So I know that the subcommittee joins me in extending to you our welcome this morning. And you may proceed in your own manner.
STATEMENT OF ELIZABETH TAYLOR WARNER
Mrs. WARNER: “Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee.
I feel honored and privileged to be here today to make a few remarks about a friend of mine—a friend, I believe, of all of ours, no matter what our politics.
“He is emblematically American, and he has made that image good.
“He is a hero, and there are so few left. He has given much to America and he has given to the whole world what an American is supposed to be like fighting the wild west or settling the wild west, being tough as an old nut or soft as a yellow ribbon.
“He must be the biggest nonstop star in the world. But to him there is no big star or little star. He is an actor. He is—and I believe that all my cohorts will agree—the greatest pro of them all. Even since 1928, when he made his film debut, he has been helping all of us through observing his 175 performances and his manner on the set, his generosity and his kindness to all of us, no matter what our position.
“You, Mr. Chairman, and other Members of Congress must have felt the courage of John Wayne--not only how he portrayed it on the screen, reenacting for our kids to see the horrors of war, but also showing to all the generations of our era that patriotism was not corny, but brave.
“When it had to be done, it was done. Kids today, and myself, talk about cool. Well, Big John is one cool cat! He is a giant, and he will be with us always.
“Please, Mr. Chairman, let us, all of us, show him our appreciation and love by awarding him the national gold medal.
Thank you.”
Chairman Annunzio: Thank you very much, Mrs. Warner, for a warm and genuine statement.
I would like to welcome our third witness this morning, Ms. Kathleen Nolan, president of the Screen Actors Guild. To most of us, Ms. Nolan is best known for her role in the popular television series “The Real McCoys”. But her accomplishments on and off the screen go well beyond this.
As well as appearing in television series, Ms. Nolan has performed on Broadway and in feature films, and has won several awards for her performances. Since the age of 6, when she negotiated a raise for herself and fellow actors on a Mississippi showboat, Ms. Nolan has been a tireless fighter for the rights of artists and development of the film industry. Ms. Nolan was overwhelmingly selected in 1975 to become president of the Screen Actors Guild, a position formerly heldby George Murphy, Ronald Reagan, and Charlton Heston. I am sure many would agree that the talents of an acting career can be well applied to politics, and Ms. Nolan has been quite successful at both.
I am pleased that you can appear before us today.
STATEMENT OF KATHLEEN NOLAN, PRESIDENT, SCREEN ACTORS GUILD
Ms. NOLAN. “Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee.
“Mr. Wayne would certainly be in the company that he belongs in, gentlemen. The recognition of the role of the arts and artists and men and women of letters of this country has not gone unnoticed in the past by Congress in past recipients of the gold medal: George M. Cohan, Irving Berlin, Robert Frost, Bob Hope, Walt Disney, and Marian Anderson. I think that Mr. Wayne belongs in that company.
“As the Screen Actors Guild president, of course, I am very proud of all the leaders in our profession. I am also very proud of the role that actors and writers and other members of the creative community contribute to the American way of life, the everyday life of our Nation. I am proud to sit here this morning, as the president of the Screen Actors Guild, and speak about one of our most honored and honorable members, John Wayne. Of course, from the point of view of just the acting profession alone, there are many reasons why he should be receiving this gold medal that is being proposed by bill H.R. 3767.
“He spent more than 50 years in the motion picture industry, and he has made well over 150 films. He is a true movie star and of course loved and admired by people all over the world. You know, John Wayne said that he wanted to be remembered by a Spanish phrase. The rough translation of that is: “He was ugly, he was strong, and he had dignity.”
“Well , I don’t think there are many of us that would think of John Wayne as ugly, But most of us have been affected by his strength and by his dignity in fighting the onscreen battles and the dignity that he has brought to his own life.
“To bestow an honor such as this on John Wayne is truly an act that transcends personal politics. I’m sure there are some issues on which we might disagree, but what brings us together is our mutual commitment to the spirit that he represents. He represents the American spirit. And I suppose, too, what draws us, all of us, to him is his love for the magic and the mystery of our profession.
“To honor John Wayne, I think, would be to honor all artists, and to recognize the enormous contribution that is made in our society by artists. He re resents all that an artist can achieve in this country: The ability to be a part of the heritage, to help us know our history and our culture, to shape our national mythology and our definition of what a hero is.
“One of the terms most often used, I guess, about John Wayne is that he portrayed the loner. He often played the quiet man who concealed his background and his true feelings, the man who didn’t quite fit with the rest of the lives of those around him. I was thinking about some of the films in which he has played, and there is a beautiful scene at the end of a film that he made in 1956 called “The Searchers,” directed by the legendary John Ford, who was, of course, responsible for shaping much of John Wayne’s character.
“In this scene he finally succeeded in rescuing his niece, who had been captured by Comanches many years before. He brings her back to the people who will now -be her family. And one by one, each of the family members enters a cool, shady house, leaving the John Wayne character standing alone outside in the blazing sun.
“I can just see him now as he turns away and closes the door, and we leave him, once again the outsider, a man apart, and a lonely hero.
“That is not really the way we think of John Wayne, as a man somewhat apart from us, someone removed from our lives. It is not really the message that we want to convey to him now. I believe, on behalf of all of the actors and members of the Screen Actors Guild, to bestow this honor on John Wayne is, in a way, our last opening the door to this lonely hero, and finally, a way of saying we love you.
“Thank you.”
Chairman Annunzio: Thank you, Ms. Nolan.
As our last witness, I would like to welcome to the subcommittee Gen. Albert Coady Wedemeyer, U.S. Army, retired. He is a longtime close friend of actor John Wayne. General Wedemeyer’s leadership abilities helped him rise through the ranks after graduating from West Point in 1918. During World War II, he joined the planning branch of the Army’s General Staff.
His dedication and performance were recognized in 1943 when he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for his work in the strategy section of the war planning branch. Following the war, General Wedemeyer was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff of the Southeast Asia Command, and later was chosen to serve as Chief of Staff to Chiang Kai-shek of China.
Today I would once again like to commend you, General Wedemeyer, for dedicating your life to serving this country, and I appreciate that you can be with us this morning.
STATEMENT OF GEN. ALBERT COADY WEDEMEYER, U.S. ARMY, RETIRED
General WEDEMEYER: “Thank you, Mr. Chairman, gentlemen of the subcommittee.
“I welcome this opportunity to say a few words about my good friend John Wayne. Few Americans, I suppose, are unfamiliar with Wayne and his public image. We have watched him on the screen for almost half a century, from the time of the early silent films through the great days of Hollywood into the age of modern television.
“He always has been a fighter. He usually has struggled against odds, often great odds. In films, he has pitted himself, usually with a few comrades, against the forces of evil, the Nation’s enemies, and the calamities of nature. More often than not, in those struggles, the good guys have won, law and order restored to the range, the tyrant is overthrown, and the scoundrel undone.
“An American of a very appealing type—calm, kind, ruggedly handsome, uncomplicated, plain-spoken, freedom-loving, straight-shooting; wins the girl and rides off into the setting sun. We all know, as we watched and enjoyed these adventures, that we are dealing in a sense with myths. Contrary to much current opinion, however, myths are not necessarily false. They are, in fact, the things by which we live.
John Wayne, or Duke, as he is affectionately known to his friends, has, I believe, helped to create and preserve a very useful myth. He has exemplified traits Americans admire, traits they like to think of themselves as possessing. He has epitomized many of our most cherished virtues. He has affirmed for us, in an age of cynicism, some of the things of which we still can be proud and in which we still believe.
“There are some who criticize Wayne’s movies for their violence. I would point out in response that the Duke’s battles have never involved senseless, pointless or mean-spirited violence of the type that saturates today’s entertainment media. All his quarrels are undertaken for moral purposes and are fought hard but fair.
“Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes always insisted that struggle is an inevitable part of a fully-lived life. The Duke’s films, I suggest, reflect this traditional view of life and living.
“I have know Wayne since the days of World War II, when we met through our mutual good friend, the great movie director John Ford. Let me testify, on the basis of this long friendship, that John Wayne in his private life is in many ways the figure of the myth. He is decent, straightforward, loyal to friend and principle, the very soul of honor. On the other hand, there are ways in which the man and the myth seem to me to diverge. The Duke is by no means the simplistic man of action—cowboy, soldier, or whatever the films depict - but a well-educated and thoughtful citizen.
“He did very well in his studies at the University of Southern California. He has been and remains vitally interested and concerned with the great public issues of this day. Although he and I do not always agree on particular issues, I invariably have found his views to be unselfishly motivated and well thought out.
“Let me therefore, gentlemen, wholeheartedly endorse the proposal officially to recognize John Wayne. He is a dedicated patriot who has made great contribution to our national life. In honoring him, we will be affirming our attachment to some of our Nation’s most cherished values.
Thank you very much.”
Chairman Annunzio: Thank you, General, for your very excellent statement.
Now, this morning we are going to hear from the other members of the panel that have not been heard from, and then I am going to have the staff director take his seat at the witness table, so that we can begin to mark up the bill this morning, so that our witnesses, when they leave, will know the result of their testimony.
On behalf of the entire subcommittee, I want to tell you how deeply grateful we are to you, all of you, for coming long distances and short distances to talk on behalf of this legislation about a friend. I think this is what makes America great—the love and the respect that we have for each other.
And when we honor a man like John Wayne, truly, like it has been said, we honor all Americans. And I commend all of you genuinely good friends of John Wayne for being with us this morning.
And now, for a brief statement, if he would like to make a statement, Congressman Vento of Minnesota, a member of the subcommittee.
Mr. VENTO: “Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
We are seldom graced by such notables as we have here today. But truly in this instance you can leave your talents behind. The only prerequisite for testifying today I think is very obviously the sincerity and friendship and affection with which you hold a friend, who is the subject of the consideration of receiving an award here today.
“In my opinion, John Wayne was in Hie public eye—it seems like I have grown up with him and known him since I was born. But I think he is representative of many people. But when we single out his courage we celebrate all who have such spirit.
“He has had the good fortune to be cast and act out the drama of life in recent American history and to offer to us future hopes and optimism. This is reflected in the idealism of the American people, in its highest goals and aspirations.
John Wayne has delivered this message with sincerity, with intellect and with enthusiasm, for which we are all grateful. I hope that we will be successful in recognizing that today.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.”
Chairman Annunzio: Thank you very much, Congressman Vento.
And now we will hear from Congressman Henry Hyde of Illinois, who represents the suburban area outside of Chicago in Cook County.
You have all heard of Oak Park, Ill., and Cicero, and that is the area that he comes from.
Mr. HYDE. “Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I also represent O’Hare Field, and while I have the highest respect for Butch O’Hare, the hero for which it’s named, I wonder if we couldn’t once in a while misspell it to O’Hara Field. [Laughter.]
“I would like to state for the record, Mr. Chairman, that while we have heard some witnesses say they don’t agree with John Wayne on every issue, I would like the record to show I agree with him on every issue. [Laughter.]
“All of his scripts have cast him in the role of a great hero. And now, as John Wayne endures his personal Alamo, I think his example makes everyone proud to share with him a common humanity.
“There is a great line in “Camelot” where King Arthur says: ‘We’re all of us tiny drops in a vast ocean, but some of them sparkle.’ John Wayne is incandescent and lights up this whole country and this whole world. He has our admiration and certainly has our prayers.
“Mr. Chairman, at the appropriate time during markup, I will offer an amendment to line 1 on page 2, after the word ‘inscriptions,’ that will simply say, ‘John Wayne, American.’ I think that will fulfill Ms. O'Hara's suggestion, and I think it is entirely appropriate. And I thank you for the honor of letting me be here.”
Chairman Annunzio: Thank you, Mr. Hyde.
And my colleague from South Carolina, who really, like I—we are marking up the so-called election financing bill this morning in the House administration Committee, and we were both absent to be here at this meeting. You know, in our schedules there are always conflicts.
My colleague from South Carolina, would like a statement? Congressman Carroll Campbell.
Mr. CAMPBELL. “Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
Very briefly, you know, probably I think that things were stated well by Mrs. Warner when she said America has few heroes today. And that’s true, and a lot of them that are cast in the role of heroes are not deserving of it.
“But John Wayne is one of our heroes and he is well-deserving of it, and I think that is what has come out today. He epitomizes the strength of leadership in his personal courage that was talked about by Ms. Blair. And it has really helped millions to cope with their problems. I think that is the strength that we have seen in John Wayne.
“And I guess the best thing I can say, Mr. Chairman, in any of this, is that I considered him a hero and I still do consider him a hero, and so do my two sons.
Thank you.”
Chairman Annunzio: Thank you, Congressman.
Again, I thank all of the witnesses. And the meeting of the sub-committee is adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 11:10 p.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]
APPENDIX
TELEGRAMS AND EDITORIAL SUBMITTED
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: My son Bill spoke to me yesterday about your call concerning the propriety and wisdom of our country striking a medal to make a comment on the very special contribution made to the enrichment of our lives by the actor, John Wayne. I don’t know who authored this particular idea, but it is a brilliant one. I personally (as well as this Guild) support your efforts a thousand-fold, and will do whatever it is you suggest to see that this can happen. It is important for you to know I am a registered Democrat and, to my knowledge, share none of the political views espoused by Duke. However, whether he is ill-disposed or healthy, John Wayne is far beyond the normal political sharp-shooting in this community. Because of his courage, his dignity, his integrity, and because of his talents as an actor, his strength as a leader, his warmth as a human being throughout his illustrious career; he is entitled to a unique spot in our hearts and minds. In this industry, we often judge people . . . sometimes unfairly . . . by asking whether they have “paid their dues.” John Wayne has paid his dues over and over, and I’m proud to consider him a friend, and am very much in favor of my government recognizing in some important fashion the contribution that Mr. Wayne has made.
Sincerely,
ROBERT ALDRICH, President,
Directors Guild of America, Inc.
DEAR BARRY: I can’t think of a man more deserving of recognition than John Wayne. I am especially proud of my quarter-century friendship and association with him. And my admiration and respect has grown through those years. He has great stature as a man, as an actor and as an American, and is well-deserving of the special honor you have proposed for him. With all good wishes for success with
this legislation, I remain,
Sincerely yours,
JAMES ARNESS, Actor.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: If anyone has made his mark in the movies, it is John Wayne. After 45 years, he is no longer just an actor or even just a movie star; he has become an American icon, a symbol around the world, I doubt we shall ever see his like again.
Yours sincerely,
PETER BOGDANOVICH, Director.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: In his heroic struggle John Wayne represents the fighting spirit that has forged America. Even now is offering his very life to pave new roads to vanquish an old enemy. His medal should be made of the same stuff his heart is-solid gold.
General and Mrs. OMAR BRADLEY.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: I strongly believe that John Wayne should receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. He is an authentic chunk of Americana. His personal and artistic life represent the best qualities of America admired by people around the world. He has always been a strong force for the American way of life. He has personified that force privately and artistically for many, many years. The world would applaud -the action of bestowing this medal on a great American.
KIRK DOUGLAS, Actor.
DEAR BARRY: I know from 30 years personal association that John Wayne is a truly loyal American and a fine honorable man. I consider it a privilege to be among those supporting the proposed honor to be bestowed upon him by Members of the Congress in recognition of his distinguished career and his service to our country.
Most sincerely,
JOANNE DRU, Actress.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: John Wayne’s contribution to this Nation has reached far beyond the entertainment industry where he is deeply respected and admired. His untiring efforts to improve conditions within our country and relations with other countries have made him a legend in his own life time. Striking a gold medal in his honor is a well-deserved and appropriate tribute. I urge the House to concur with the Senate and pass the special bill to authorize this medal.
With warmest regards,
GERALD R. FORD, President.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: I wholeheartedly applaud your proposal to salute my close personal friend, John Wayne, with a special medal honoring not only his many contributions to the film industry but his lifelong devotion to his country.
With warm regards,
GLENN FORD, Actor.
DEAR BARRY: Thank you for honoring our dear Duke in this manner. He is more than deserving because he is a great American, a great actor, and a great friend. We are proud that he is a member of our family for more than 50 years. We congratulate him and we love him.
Mrs. JOHN FORD AND FAMILY,
(The late John Ford, Director).
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: I am including in this mailgram a brief statement about my feelings regarding the presentation of the gold medal of honor to John Wayne. I feel honored and privileged to have been asked to express my feelings on learning that “The Duke” will be receiving the gold medal of honor. Today, America officially acknowledges what millions of its citizens have known for so long and what I have known personally for the many years that John Wayne and I have been friends and co-workers. He is an actor of consummate professionalism, who has earned the respect, admiration and devotion of motion picture audiences all over the world. He is a patriot whose honesty and straightforwardness has never left any doubt as to his deep feelings for the United States of America and the men and women who built it. By giving him the highest honor his country can bestow on a private citizen—the gold medal of honor—we are publicly saying, “Duke, your love for your country is only exceeded by your country’s love for you.”
MIKE FRANKOVICH, Director.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: I heartily endorse the passage of bill, H.R. 3767, to strike a gold coin in recognition of the distinguished career of John Wayne.
PATRICK J . FRAWLEY, J r.,
Businessman and friend.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: I understand that the United States Congress and our President are giving John Wayne a gold medal. Asked to comment, I can only say with a heart full of love for all concerned: About Time.
KATHERINE HEPBURN, Actress.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: Having been close to John Wayne over the last 40 years, I can honestly say I have never known a more loyal American. His love for his country and compassion for his fellow man knows no bounds. I urge that the utmost consideration be given in respect to recognizing the services, the great spirit, and the contributions that this unique and remarkable American has made.
Respectfully,
WILLIAM HOLDEN, Actor.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: In favor of a gold medal in honor of John Wayne.
Sincerely,
BEN J OHNSON.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: John Wayne rode into the hearts of the American people with all they savvy and frontier spirit that is a part of all of us. With his hallmark, true grit and caring about his neighbors, he embodies that love of adventure and strength of character that built this country. For his gallant courage and sturdy pioneer independence in the greatest American tradition, we salute him.
With warm regards,
LADY BIRD JOHNSON,
LYNDA JOHNSON RORR,
LUCY J OHNSON NUGENT.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: I have been very fortunate over the years to have known John Wayne as a friend, as well as a partner, in many motion picture ventures. His integrity and talent have made all of us in the motion picture industry proud to be part of an industry in which he has been an undisputed leader. Motion pictures have played a great role in educating the rest of the world to the freedom and diversity and strength of our country. And no one man has contributed more to showing our country in its best light than has John Wayne. His heart is as big as he is, and that is saying a lot. I do not know of anybody with whom he has been associated, who does not have the deepest affection for him. No one is more deserving of the honor which the Congress is bestowing on him today.
ARTHUR B. KRIM,
Chairman, Orion Pictures.
DEAR BARRY GOLDWATER: I heartily agree with your plan to present John Wayne with a medal. To me, he has always represented the very finest things in American heritage—truth, honor, integrity and unflagging courage. I am proud to have worked with him over the past 30 years and I love the man.
Sincerely,
ANNA LEE, Actress.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: I am pleased and honored to add my personal, strong support to the bill you proposed to authorize President Carter to present, on behalf of the Congress of the United States, a specially struck gold medal to John Wayne. In my opinion, the Duke richly deserves this recognition and I am proud to lend my name in support of it.
JACK LEMMON, Actor.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: How appropriate that the governing body of the United States should vote a gold medal to that beautiful human being, John Wayne. It will go with his solid gold heart.
DOROTHY MANNERS, Columnist.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: In a Nation so young as ours we are blessed with far more globally popular heroes than ogres. Our mighty oak of state grows with the names of those who have defined for history the value of principle in a humane society. As these principles are tested and adopted, we broaden understanding of ourselves. As an advocate in the field of understanding John Wayne is unique. His gifted projection of the virtues of justice and equality, purpose and determination and forthright honesty have affected the American image all over the world. His living testimony to his spoken beliefs contributes respect to that image. Under the magnifying lens of mass scrutiny he has unfailingly delivered as promised. Without hesitation or exception, he loyally defends his ideals with reason and example. He has helped stamp the American brand on goods and custom universally welcomed. With strength to inspire, he shares charity with the weak. As an institution he represents the rock-solid faith of our founders in the American dream. As a man, he has achieved his place with dignity. A sturdy bough indeed, the Duke, so stands our mighty oak.
ROBERT MITCHUM, Actor.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: Please add my name to the very worthy bill you are introducing to honor John Wayne as an outstanding American. I know of no other person in both his personal and professional career who has done as much to uphold the tradition of the individual spirit of Americanism.
LLOYD NOLAN, Actor.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: No contemporary American reflects as keenly glass country's character of individuality and pride in its heritage as does John Wayne. As an actor and as a man, he is one of our most eloquent spokesmen and ambassadors. To express to him our awareness of and appreciation for his contributions should be indeed our honor.
MERLE OBERON, Actress.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: What has impressed me most as a friend of John Wayne for more than 40 years has been his unchanging personality as he grew in stature from an actor, then a star, and finally a superstar. He has remained the same Duke Wayne I knew from the beginning—unselfish, generous, open-handed, open hearted and steadfast to the same ideals. Anyone who knows Duke well, and has not trepassed on his friendship, knows that once a friend, this engaging gentleman is always a friend. Indeed, loyalty is more than a special word with him. It is a daily practice that has endeared him to his family, his personal friends and, of course, to the people of his profession. No matter what the rank or position of a friend, or no matter what lofty heights to which Duke rose in his profession, and in the world's esteem, he never changed. He is the same man today that I met more than 40 years ago. He has walked and talked with Presidents and with Kings and Queens, but it has never affected his ego in the least, nor has it compromised his devotion and friendship to those below him. And the honors that have been bestowed upon him, the genuine affection showered on him by the public have made him even more conscious of the need to share this applause with his old friends. That he has endeared himself to hundreds and millions of people around the world through his accomplishments as a hero of the screen is a matter of record.
But what is not a matter of record is that long ago, he became a hero to all of those privileged to know him as a friend. And their love for him, and his love for them, has never waivered. I have been with him on movie sets in Mexico, in his home in California and in my own home in Michigan. We have raised a toast in many cities in both this country and elsewhere, but he is always the same unpretentious, unafraid, informal, regular guy that you see on the screen and in person. No man alive can play himself better than the Duke. He speaks his mind, but not with rancor. He lives his life with honor and dignity. He loves his country with a passion. He is more than a superstar. He is a Superman. And I am proud to call him “friend.”
OSCAR L. OLSON, President, Olsinite Corp.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: I am pleased to lend my support to the movement for a special Congressional award for John Wayne, an honorable man who has exemplified traditional American virtues in films for 50 years. For audiences abroad, our films are a window opening on the American way of life. John Wayne is loved the world over as a man who represents independence, the love of freedom and the hardy strength of character which made our country great. For audiences at home, John Wayne through his films remains an authentic folk hero. In this era of shifting moral values and cynicism, he has made a contribution of inestimable value to American culture and is deserving of this tribute from the American people.
GREGORY PECK, Actor.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: I am pleased to have this opportunity to urge the passage of H.R. 3767, which would authorize the President of the United States to present on behalf of the Congress a specially-struck gold medal honoring my good friend John Wayne. “Duke” Wayne has received many honors, tributes, and accolades, and all of them have been richly deserved. I can simply say that there is no one in America I can think of more deserving of the special honor you are now considering than John Wayne. There is no one who exemplifies the devotion to our country, its goodness, its industry and its strengths better than John Wayne. Duke Wayne’s service to our country, not only in his chosen profession, but as a public servant in the truest sense of the term, certainly qualifies him for this honor. It will be a tribute not only to John Wayne, the man, but also to those high standards and ideals to which he is dedicated. I urge the favorable consideration of H.R. 3767.
Thank you,
RONALD REAGAN.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: It has been my privilege to know John Wayne for a considerable number of years as a man, actor and citizen. He captured me as a fan in all three of these categories. John Wayne has been honored time and again not only for his fine professional achievements, but as a good American, and an outstanding citizen. His aggressive fight in combating his past and current illness is a source of admiration and should serve as a beacon light of hope for many the world over. I salute you, John, and wish you well.
RANDOLPH Scott,
Actor and Businessman.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: I regret I am unable to appear before you and the Members of the House Banking Committee on Monday, May 21, 1979 for the purpose of urging immediate and favorable action regarding the passing of a bill to honor the distinguished motion picture actor, John Wayne.
Please consider this letter as my strongest endorsement. I believe it is altogether fitting and proper that the Congress do this in the week of Mr. Wayne’s 72d birthday, which falls on Saturday, May 26, 1979.
For over half a century, Mr. Wayne has served honorably as America’s symbol to the world of the highest morals and prudent standards of our society. For a quarter of the very lifetime of the Republic, he has carried the torch of American decency to other peoples in other lands through his motion pictures.
Even today Mr. Wayne continues to express the worthiest characteristics of the American way of life to the far corners of the earth in memorable motion pictures continuously being exported and shown and reshown to untold millions all over the world. Truly he remains to be the ambassador of America's goodwill and sense of fair play. I believe the distinguished descendants of the brave men who bore witness to our country’s fight for survival during the difficult winter at Valley Forge will reflect honor on the nation as well as themselves by paying tribute now to John Wayne’s fight for his survival during this difficult spring in another valley. No man’s lifetime of work has better expressed the land of the free and the home of the brave. No man’s lifetime or work has given more proof to the world that our flag is still there. John Wayne is in truth a star-spangled man whom so proudly we hail. I commend you, Mr. Congressman, all Members of the Banking Committee, as well as all Members of the House of Representatives, for your action in this matter, and wish you God’s speed in your deliberation.
Respectfully,
FRANK SINATRA,
Actor and entertainer. ..
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: John Wayne is a symbol of what is best in this country. Our great nation has a heritage of uncompromising honesty, unyielding determination and unending courage. These are also the hallmarks of this uncommon man. It is altogether fitting and proper that we pay tribute to an individual who has conducted himself so well and so bravely in his public and private life that his name has become synonymous with the spirit of America.
ROBERT F. SIX, President,
Continental Airlines.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATERI I was overjoyed to hear our country is going to honor my old friend, John Wayne. I’ve known Duke for most of my life and he has consistently represented the best of our profession has to offer. He has never failed to show his love for America and his pride in being a citizen. Duke transcends the political left and right. He sounds more like Kit Carson or an Indian scout protecting his wagon train. At a time when polarization seems to be the problem of the day, he sincerely echoes the sentiments of the gentlemen on Mount Rushmore. Old fashioned? Patriotism is never old fashioned.
I just came back from three months in Europe where everyone shows concern about his health. There has never been a member of our profession who has so impressed the world with his courage or his stature as a man. He has never appeared in a motion picture that would project a negative image of his beloved country. There is no artifice to this man. What you see is what you get, and what you got is a very special citizen who does our country credit.
ROBERT STACK, Actor.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: The close friends and associates of John Wayne urge your active and enthusiastic support of the bill now before the House Banking and Currency Committee which will authorize the issuance of a gold medal to Mr. Wayne in recognition of his outstanding contributions to our country. We can think of no other American who is more deserving of this honor. We thank you for your support of this measure.
Dr. JULES STEIN,
Chairman of the Board, Emeritus,
Music Corporation of America.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER In regard to your bill which authorizes the President to present on behalf of the Congress an especially struck gold medal to honor John Wayne, I sincerely believe that John Wayne is completely deserving of such an honor. I have known him for many years and I have found him to be a man of great strength and vitality and honesty. His love of country is something very special. Because he has been able to put these personal qualities into the characters he has played on film, he has done a tremendous service to his fellow Americans and to the world.
Sincerely,
JAMES STEWART, Actor.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: I strongly support the gold coin of John Wayne. He has been a great asset to his profession and country.
ROBERT F. THOMPSON, Businessman.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: Having known John Wayne for 42 years most personally and professionally, I know that his contribution to this country and its society has been outstanding. He is unique and one in a million. He is a loyal American and has given years of his life to what he thinks is best for all of us. Please add my name to the supporters of the effort to have him honored by Members of the Congress.
CLAIRE TREVOR, Actress.
DEAR BARRY: I can’t tell you how pleased I am that you and your colleagues in Congress are initiating the appropriate action to honor a man I unreservedly regard as one of the great American patriots of this century, John Wayne. In the 40 years I have worked and played with Duke, my admiration of his superior achievements entertaining and inspiring generations of American youth with his countless movies, his fierce loyalty to, and outspoken love for his country, has been boundless. I am proud, far beyond mere words, to know John Wayne and fervently wish that every American would know him so well.
Sincerely,
FORREST TUCKER, Actor.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: As a long-time friend of John Wayne, I support any efforts to make a special award to him. His contribution to the film world and society as a whole makes one proud to know him.
Sincerely,
ROBERT WAGNER, Actor.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: I thoroughly approve your recommending to Congress a bill to authorize a medal to honor John Wayne for his distinguished career and service to the nation.
C. V. WHITNEY,
Businessman and friend.
DEAR CONGRESSMAN GOLDWATER: As a friend of John Wayne, I sincerely hope he is honored because of his contribution to the United States as an outstanding citizen, and his example of extreme courage and bravery. He is an example to all of us.
Sincerely,
NATALIE WOOD.
[From the U.S. News and World Report, May 28, 1979]
A HERD TO FIT THE IMAGE
(By Marvin Stone)
John Wayne was again hospitalized, fighting a difficult battle, as he headed toward his 72nd birthday, May 26. In wishing him a happy birthday, our thoughts went back 25 years to our first meeting with the man on a movie set in Japan. We discovered then, as millions have since, that John Wayne is far more than a movie actor. He is the personification of courage and conviction in an age when both are in scant supply.
The reasons John Wayne is one of the most admired men in the United States are as important as the fact. He has become a symbol of the virtues and the strengths that Americans like to believe are typical of their country.
Courage? Wayne has shown that repeatedly. His left lung was removed in 1964. He had open-heart surgery in 1978. Last January surgeons removed his cancerous stomach. Now he is again determined to win against great odds.
“He has a tremendous will to live,” says Bernard Strohm, administrator of the UCLA Hospital in Los Angeles where Wayne’s stomach was removed. Physically a strong man, John Wayne has clung to -personal beliefs as rugged as his body, refusing to temper those beliefs to go with the prevailing winds.
At a time when the Vietnam War was widely unpopular, in 1968, Wayne backed the government’s prosecution of that war by insisting on going through with the film “The Green Berets." Like most of Wayne’s ventures, the film was successful, despite derision from some.
Although fiercely loyal to the Republican Party, Wayne has shown his independence on candidates and issues. When his candidate, Ronald Reagan, failed to get the presidential nomination in 1976, Wayne worked hard for the party choice, Gerald Ford. In the fight over the Panama Canal treaties, Wayne did his own thinking and decided he generally favored them. That bucked the conservative position.
Wayne demonstrated his loyalty to old friends when he joined Republicans attending Richard Nixon’s $250-per-person cocktail reception at San Clemente in August of 1978.
Katharine Hepburn, writing about Wayne in the TV Guide magazine in 1977, said this: “Politically he is a reactionary. He suffers from a point of view based entirely on his own experience. He was surrounded in his early years in the motion-picture business by people like himself. Self-made. Hard working. Independent. Of the style of man who blazed the trails across our country. Who reached out into the unknown. People who were willing to live or die entirely on their own independent judgment.”
Pete Dailey, an advertising executive who has worked with Wayne, says: “He is viewed as somebody who is a rock of unchanging values. He projects a basic sense of honesty and understanding, and strong Puritan values. His image grew as he grew older. People have been exposed to him over a long period of time.”
Wayne began making movies in 1928, while a student at the University of Southern California. He churned out many Westerns before he made his first big hit in “Stagecoach” in 1939. He won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Rooster Cogburn in “True Grit” in 1969. His last full-length feature was “The Shootist,” released in 1976, in which he played the part of an old gunfighter, dying of cancer.
During the last half century, Wayne has made some 200 films Often he played roles that his ancestors had lived—as pioneers, Indian fighters, fur traders and covered wagon travelers, helping to settle America over a period of many, many decades. “People see John Wayne in the roles he played,” says a longtime Hollywood observer. “In the main, he has personified the rugged American of the frontier, who made the country great.” Folks today are looking for heroes, and there aren’t many around. But in John Wayne, people of all political shadings have found one to fit the image.