# Duke \[John Wayne\]'s military service

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-john-wayne-s-military-service/387039>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [January 7, 2007, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-john-wayne-s-military-service/387039 "2007-01-07T09:34:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\
**Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-john-wayne-s-military-service/387039/61 "2013-12-07T06:54:17Z")

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Toward the end of the movie “The Caine Mutiny” (1954), Jose Ferrer who portrayed the Navy lawyer that successfully defends the 2 mutineers, makes a tremendous speech:

> [@](#):
>
> > [@](#):
> >
> > When I was studying law, and Mr. Keefer here was writing his stories, and you, Willie, were tearing up the playing fields of dear old Princeton, who was standing guard over this fat, dumb, happy country of ours, eh? Not us. Oh, no, we knew you couldn’t make any money in the service. So who did the dirty work for us? Queeg did! And a lot of other guys. Tough, sharp guys who didn’t crack up like Queeg.  
> > (note: Queeg was the Captain of the Caine)

I think that says a lot about John Wayne’s not serving.  
Basically, had Mr Wayne served, his salary would have been severely decreased, he would not have had those lovely ladies hanging around him, his movie career would have gone no place, etc.  
I think he could see how advantageous it would be _not_ to go to war.  
However, in his later years, I think it was very hypocritical of him to be a pro-war advocate after avoiding _his_ chance to “stand guard over this fat, dumb, happy country of ours.”

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