JOHN WAYNE
An American Hero
Recipiant of the
Presidential Medal of Freedom: and Congressional Gold Medals

Born: Marion Robert Morrison May 26, 1907
Passed away July 11, 1979 (age 72)

"Life's Tough ..... it's even tougher if you're stupid" - John

WAIT and listen to his message!

He was a popular American Conservative.
Vern just missed the possibility of seeing John on one of his visits to the North West in his boat, Wild Goose. John made port in Roche Harbor in the San Juan Islands many times. John passed away the same year Vern engineered the replacement of the islands whole telephone plant.


Vern purchased the poster above in 1989 while working in Irvine, California. The scene is at the wheel of his boat, the Wild Goose. Holding a deep interest in the sea. John purchased the boat in 1963.

Sound from: http://www.fiftiesweb.com/usa/john-wayne.htm  Words in Wikipedia


JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT - 1989

Always Vern's Hero



Vern would like to think John would approve the message displayed behind the button above.


The boat was built as the Mine Sweeper
 USS YMS-328 in 1943.
Click image above for details of this original ship
It was very painful for Wayne to not be able to serve in the military. The majority of male leads left Hollywood to serve overseas, John Wayne saw his just-blossoming stardom at risk. Despite enormous pressure from his inner circle of friends, he put off enlisting. Wayne was exempted from service due to his age (34 at the time of Pearl Harbor) and family status, classified as 3-A (family deferment). Wayne was in the South Pacific theater of the war for three months in 1943–44, touring U.S. bases and hospitals as well as doing some "undercover" work for OSS commander William J. "Wild Bill" Donovan, who thought Wayne's celebrity might be good cover for an assessment of the causes for poor relations between General Douglas MacArthur and Donovan's OSS Pacific network. Wayne filed a report and Donovan gave him a plaque and commendation for serving with the OSS, but Wayne dismissed it as meaningless.

Millions of Americans knew him on horseback, on foot, and on film -- an American idol whose movies merit a special section at video stores across the country even now and reappear regularly on movie channels. But for Wayne, much of his real life, for 15 years, was spent on board the Wild Goose, a sister ship to Jacques Cousteau's Calypso. It was where he relaxed and entertained, where he most enjoyed his roles as husband and father and friend. Bert Minshall, captain of the Wild Goose, became more than that. He became confidant, chronicler, and crutch to Wayne, as well as companion to Wayne's children. In hundreds of photographs, in home movies taken with his 8 mm camera, and in a diary, Minshall recorded day-to-day life aboard the yacht -- interludes with famous guests, as well as routine family activities. Much of that material is included in "On Board with the Duke", providing an intimate and revealing glimpse of Wayne and the people around him.
Go To Vern's: San Juan Page