Stan Paregien, Editor
Wayne had his share of health problems over the years. In 1963 he had a cancerous lung removed. In 1978 he had open-heart surgery. And in 1979, shortly before his death, his stomach was removed.
John Wayne won the Best Actor nomination for the World War II movie, Sands of Iwo Jima (1949). He received an Oscar for his role as Rooster Cogburn in True Grit (1969). He still holds the record for having the lead in 142 films.
Wayne thought of himself as a red-white-and-blue American, a patriot. He was angered when anyone belittled either the U.S.A. or its flag. It was his patriotism that caused him to film "The Alamo" and "The Green Berets".
John Wayne, the man, loved to fish and to travel overseas. He liked liquor, poker and women -- though, except for Maurene O'Hara, he liked women as lovers than as friends.
Wayne especially liked Latino women. He was married to Josephine Saenz from 1933 until they divorced in 1945. They had two sons (Michael Wayne; Patrick Wayne) and two daughters (Toni Wayne; Melinda Wayne)
He was married to Esperanza Bauer from 1946 until they divorced in 1954. And he was married to Pilar Palett from 1954 until his death in 1979. He and Pilar had a daughter (Aissa Wayne) and a son, John Ethan Wayne.
He starred in numerous films about World War II. However, he himself was exempted from military service due to an ear infection developed during underwater shooting on the movie, Reap the Wild Wind.
Wayne formed his own production company, Batjac (the name of the shipping company in 1948's Wake of the Red Witch) to develop projects both for him and for other stars. It was he who put a fledgling actor name James Arness under contract and then recommended him for the lead in the new TV show, Gunsmoke (They wanted Wayne, but he refused).
John Wayne died of cancer of the lung and stomach on June 11, 1979. His remains are at Pacific View Memorial Park in Newport Beach, CA. The epitaph on his tombstone reads:
The complete filmography of John Wayne.
© 2003 by Stan Paregien, Sr.
Comes into us at midnight very clean.
It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands.
It hopes we've learned something from yesterday.
--- Bible: Colossians 3:13-14
