John Wayne Addresses Vietnam POWs Upon Their Return 

One the few who showed respect for the men and women who served in Vietnam

Seeing the Duke say these things at this time of year (independence day holiday) reminds me that we once were something special. We could be again, may God make it so.

JOHN WAYNE ,A REAL AMERICAN , GOD BLESS HIM , GOD REST HIS SOUL .

To me, a young Vietnamese boy in the 60’s in Viet Nam, John Wayne was a symbolic American Cowboy. I loved to watch cowboy movies having him playing as a cowboy riding horse very much! I heard a story about his speeding ticket one night on Freeway 405 in Southern California. The policeman stopped his car and approached him. John rolled down window and asked the policeman:” What’s the matter, officer?”. As soon as the young officer recognized John Wayne, he instead gave John Wayne a speeding ticket just warning him not driving too fast!.

I remember men similar to the Duke when I was growing up, there seems to be none now!

Bless his heart, he truly loved America & American soldiers. He tried to go in the military but was declined due to a knee injury he sustained playing football at University of Southern California, 2:36 plus he had 4 kids at the time.

A big BIG MAN in so many ways....

Looks for all the world like he wrote his own thoughts down on a piece of paper so he was sure he said it all and went up and read them. The whole thing came across humble and sincere. Given all the controversy and hardship the vets had in Vietnam they had to appreciate that.

Thank You POW's from the Marines of VMA 225 who served at Chu Lai, RVN in 1965.

God Bless John Wayne and God Bless our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines past present and future, and God Bless Richard Nixon. Love of country is everything.

God Bless John Wayne - Rest In peace , Duke

I remember this as if it was yesterday. God bless our troops ❤

Next to his outspoken patriotism, Wayne had a deep love of the acting profession. It's good he didn't live to see the crapfest that Hollywood has become today.

he had his faults, just like we all do, but he loved this country, he loved her soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen. he was raised in a different time, mindsets were literally different back then, his "record" with minorities particularly Blacks wasn't exemplary when judged by todays standards. that said, were he "in his prime" today i think you would see a different John Wayne, still every bit the proud American, but with a better viewpoint towards race. im typing this with a sad but poignant mindset, racial inequality has been the one big stumbling block in this Republic's evolution and we still have a ways to go yet, but moving that way we still are. and i know that im happy that we are, i suspect Men like the Duke are, and men like Malcolm X and Dr. King are as well (each of them in their own way molding the clay of our Republic, directing it forward) John Wayne represents a big piece of the American Ethos, the "Rugged individualism" that exemplifies the American. Any American, regardless of color. My grandfather was a Sharecropper in south Georgia, Daddy worked in a paper mill, I handle million dollar accounts today. my partner in our endeavors is a Black man, who's Grandfather was a sharecropper, his dad worked at the same paper mill, and he also handles million dollar accounts for our company. we both consider each other equals (because we are) he is also someone i consider to be one of my absolute best friends, mostly because he's good people, but also because we both get it. nobody can change who they were born as, but anyone can change who they are, if they are given that chance. God Bless America.

John Wayne a great American.

What a wonderful man he was!! Someone we could all look up to!! Miss him!!

What a wonderful man and patriotic american. They surely don't make em like the Duke anymore. Thank you for sharing this so that we might enjoy John Wayne one more time.

Duke went to Vietnam in June, 1966, spending 3 weeks there meeting soldiers. When he was with the 3rd battalion of the 7th Marine Regiment, Vietcong snipers fired on the Marines' position, and bullets from AK-47s hit within a few yards of him.

John Wayne had a deep love for his Country! He tried to join the service in WWII but was rejected, but that didn't stop him from entertaining our troops and defending our Country in his speeches! He loved our military and showed it!

What a great American more loved now than ever he is truly missed by all of us.

He was the last of the True American breed. There wont be anybody like him again.

The “ Duke “ although never having served in the armed forces ( He still had pride and dedication for this wonderful country and it’s men and women Who
had served )

This meant more to the soldiers of a lost war who were treated like crap when all they ever did was to take orders. We owe a massive debt to the soldiers who take orders and die for our liberty! 🇺🇸

Gary Senise is a pro American actor. There are a few. Kurt Russell too.

one of a kind I learned alot from this man

What a true American Patriot!

The Duke was great. We miss him. Sorry he is gone.

I miss the Duke.

It's a great country, and it's a lot better off with you fella's back here. Now, that's a great statement.

He shook hands. My brother shook hands with bullets. Celebrity vs soldier. No comparison.

Some of the snot noses commenting on the US are no more American than someone from a foreign country. I am 70 years old and remember well. Have any of you been to a different country and honestly see how they live. Even in England, there are no motels, when you make reservations in a hotel in London, you have to request an in room bathroom, and then it is a room the size of a closet with sink, toilet and shower in it and one drain in the floor, and you carry your toilet paper in and out to keep it from getting wet, now you go to some where even less civilized and see what you get. If you don't like this country then you need to go live in another. I'm quite sure a socialist or communistic country would be more to your liking. If you think this is a terrorist country then move to one you think is not and start voicing your opinion like you just did here and see how fast you end up in a gov. prison. You are never going to miss your freedom here in the US until you lose it and seems by the way you talk about America that you won't be happy until it's gone.

Thank You!!!

GOD Bless you John Wayne!!!!! And may God Bless America and all her men & women who serve now and in the past!!!!!!

He epitomizes the American of a bygone era.

What a sweet man!

good stuff!

I remember the day after he died...the title of the Tokyo newspaper article (English version) read "Mr. America has died".

John Wayne is America....

John Wayne is my hero 👍💋

America needs John Wayne now more than ever.

I really wish that the whole U.S. had felt the same way back then when Our Men came home!! They were spit on, called baby killers, some even changed out of their uniforms when they got stateside so they wouldn't be identified as soldiers!! Thankfully now we are giving them the thanks and the gratitude that they truly deserve, but they really needed it then!! 😔

Fifty years ago tomorrow. How far we have fallen since then.

Greetings from the Ohio Porters. The Duke was one of my heroes. Here in 2021 I didn’t know of this video before now. I’ve always respected JW. I’m shocked that he didn’t say more, but I’m sure he meant everything that he did say. Now to all of our Vietnam vets, I thank you for all of your sacrifices and I’m truly sorry if any of you were ever mistreated by our fellow Americans in any way! You did what you were called to do by our country and none of us can blame you for anything! Forgive us! Welcome Back! God bless YOU and God bless our COUNTRY! I would ride off into the sunset with you as well.

Still the greatest

Tell em , duke.

God bless these men. You're sacrifices are never to be forgotten. In a communist society people are not allowed to disagree. They are shot. Thank you John Wayne for all you did.

he was never a man who would not say what he did not believe in.

God always 🙏 bless America 🇺🇸 the beautiful

Freedom!!!

I don't pretend to no much about American politics been from England but seeing this makes me want my country back and the duke makes me feel that way

He did a great job in Vietnam shaking hands. Too bad he couldn’t shaken some during World War II.

The U.S. ARMY AND MARINE CORPS GRUNTS HAD THE HARDEST JOBS OF ALL IN VIETNAM WAR ESPECIALLY FROM 1965-1970. IN 1968 THE U.S. HAD 16,000+ KILLED IN ACTION, 90%+ WERE ARMY AND MARINE CORPS INFANTRYMEN OR "GRUNTS", AND TENS OF THOUSANDS MORE WOUNDED. WHY DO YOU THINK THE VA HOSPITALS ARE BUSY MOST VIETNAM VETERANS ARE IN THEIR LATE 60s and early 70s now.

The green berets movie never Mentioned in the opening scene When reporters were asking Questions about Eisenhower Vetoing american involvement In 1954

John Wayne for president!

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

'The Duke'

Actors and athletes don’t excite me but this is the one guy I’d wish led I met. And add Clint Eastwood to that short list of two men

Joseph Stalin learned of Wayne’s popularity from Soviet filmmaker Sergei Gerasimov, who’d attended a peace conference in New York City in 1949. He worried Wayne’s prominence would pose a real threat to his mission, and it’s alleged he ordered to have the actor assassinated by the KGB. According to Michael Munn, film historian and author of John Wayne - The Man Behind The Myth, Wayne caught wind of the assassination plot, which was set to occur at his Hollywood office. When the two hitmen arrived, they were met by hidden FBI agents, who handed the pair over to Wayne and scriptwriter Jimmy Grant. It’s alleged the pair took them to the beach and staged a mock execution, after which they told the FBI to send them back to the USSR. The pair, fearing retribution back home, pleaded to remain in the US and became FBI informants.

John Wayne hid out when it was his time to serve. Just like Reagan.

👍

John we need you in these woke times.

To friends who asked about his possible enlistment, Wayne would usually say he planned on enlisting "after one or two more films." Many John Wayne fans even put out a rumor that Wayne's "mythical" college football injury, which he had gotten 14 years previously, was the reason Duke was not called up. Wayne went out of his way to have the studio cook up reasons to get him his deferment. In 1944, Wayne was re-classified as 1-a, only to have the studio get him a deferment "in support of national interest.” He was re-classified as 2-a. This was later revoked and he was classed 1-a again, but the studio interceded again and he was re-classified 2-a until the end of the war.

Green Berets.

His manner of speaking is much better than wacky Joe Biden. Joe could learn from that.

I don't guess 'Hanoi' Jane Fonda could make it.

Always a big fan of the Duke but I'm guessing he said these things before Nixon was exposed by Watergate.

Not like today

J.W. a true John Birch sob.

Who is left with enough honor to address today's political prisoners when they are finally set free?

@rhaivaen Bwahahahahahahaha, echem, funny guy

He was my Hero up until 1970! I was rowing my dads dingy at Seattle's Shilshow Marina, it had a broken oar lock so it was hard to row when Wayne came in motoring a little fast in a straight bow 1940's type yacht a little fast for being in the marina! Well he honk his horn a couple times and I was struggling to get out of his way when I hear him say Booming ,"GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY" which I barely was able to do, he didn't even looked at me when he passed by! I wish being a 13 year old kid I had said F/U you Wayne or something similar but kids were more respectful in those days! Still remember what he was wearing that day in 1970 or 71 ! So Wayne comming 53 years later and at 66 years Age I say go F/Y you never were a good Actor! BASTARD!! DAN DOTSON still alive!!

weird question to ask but is it strange that while I am a liberal and hate the war that I still have respect for the vets, and think when they came home they deserved respect? I am sixteen btw so sorry if this weird

I've noticed throughout RU-vid in the comment section people aren't taking what's going on very serious I hope there head colds clear soon

Obviously a Republican and patriot He could have joined john ford on midway!

@HeatherGlen33 How dare you call the United States of America a terrorist country. If you hate it here that much, may I suggest Iraq, or India? I hear they treat their women much better there. I agree with most of what you stated but you crossed a line calling your own country "the terrorist country".

" A great american... who did a great job in vietnam... shacking hands..."

If John is looking down to us from heaven, the lord is probably holding him back from organizing the angels and coming down here to round up all the left, and hanging em from a tall tree.

@HeatherGlen33 Good. I hope they come back with something useful. You dont think North Korea is worth worrying about?

Shout-out to my John Wayne, never served a day but Brain wash a whole generation.

Mr. Wayne is probably saying to us right now " You guys really managed to screw the country up monumentally."

Punch it in Google. john wayne. "Draft dodger."

What about the Vietnam people who were killed and didn't get to come home

I loved his films and he had good acting chops such as The Searchers , Quiet Man and True Grit. However he was a draft dodger in WW2 . Bigger and older stars served and in combat such as Clark Gable and Jimmy Stewart. Wayne was a phony and was part of the Red Scare with Senator Joseph McCarthy. I know many of you on this thread won't like my comment. but its a fact. Herbert J Yates of Republic Pictures was protecting his investment instead of looking to protect our country.

Little Kevin church 💙 me see how he responds gee Kevin have some mommy issues?

All love it, except the Democrats!

Dam in 66 he was bald in Vietnam but here he got his hair back in 73

What's wrong with wanting America to b a better country complaining is the only way to change things

I always loved John Wayne as a actor but hated him for being a draft dodger

Back when this and back when that. Back then the people were spitting at soldiers on their return, now they even bump them to first class and shake their hands and give thanks. there are some things back then that are better than today and some things that are better today. for all wanes acting, Lord knows he could have served in ww2 BUT HE DIDNT so his wooden postulations and thank you don't mean a thing in my book gimme a Rob Riggle any day

Marion Moresion can shake hands with the best of them. Fight a war not so much.

@ArmandoG2013 Really funny, but not realistic, you live in a fantasy world dude.

Instead of sending 18-19 yrs children, Americans should have sent 25-30 yrs-old soldiers to Vietnam

John Wayne should have been sent to fierce vicious battles of eastern front during WW2. E.g to Rhzev or Demjansk.

Ahh the legendary draft dodger 😂

Wayne got lucky they didn't boo him like the guys in ww2 did when he came to visit.

Gulf of Tonkin. these poor guys thought they were fighting for freedom.

Wonder what Wayne would think of this quote by our current draft dodging president? “He’s not a war hero,” said Trump. “He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.” When Trump is finally convicted his 5 1/2 year sentence should he served in a hut in Vietnam.

John Wayne avoided service in ww2, while he made movies telling lies about jews being turned into soap

John Wayne avoided service in WW2. Some patriot

Draft dodger.