HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN WAYNE


 
I have several movies queued up for the weekend featuring JW to commemorate/honor/reflect Memorial Day.
Flying Leathernecks
In Harms Way
Sands of Iwo Jima
The Longest Day

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As a little side note, my wife, Maryann, lived in Newport Beach, in a house located on a cliff overlooking the Duke's home below in Balboa.
 
John Wayne was a somewhat of a local to our community up here in the PNW.
I can look out of my kitchen window at the land his family still owns.
I wonder if his son Patrick lived here until recently.
He even donated a bunch of waterfront land to build a marina.
It is called the John Wayne Marina located in Sequim Washington and there is a small handful of his memorabilia at the fancy restaurant located there.

What a cool guy he was.
An obvious outdoorsman no doubt.
It sure would have been nice bumping into him In our remote area.
 
The first story was when I was really young when my Dad took me to get a haircut at Mr. Balboa in Newport Beach.
All the men were listening to this tall guy talk my Dad included, I had no idea who this man was.
It was none other than John Wayne, just a regular guy getting his haircut right next to me.
 
Happy Birthday Duke.

The next story.

I was probably 10 years old. I had a friend named Jim who's Mom worked at a little restaurant named El Pescadore on Tustin Ave.
and 17th street in Costa Mesa. She would call her land line and see Jim was home and that John Wayne and Buddy Ebsen
were sitting at the bar having cocktails. Jim would call me and we would ride our stingray bikes to El Pescadore. Jims mom
would buy us a burger and fries for lunch. Those were the days. All the while we were scoping out John Wayne, Buddy and others having a
good laugh at the bar. We missed out on the time Frank Sinatra was there with them. Over the summer months we got to see John Wayne quite a few times since he lived just a few miles away in Bay Shores and would drive his station wagon around town.
 
Next....

I was 17 and working at Hughes Market on 17th and Irvine in Newport Beach. Bob (about 40 years old) and I were facing the GM aisle
when we heard a familiar voice asking ..(Say this in your best John Wayne voice). Could you tell me where the toothbrushes are. Bob was kneeling on the floor facing and looked up and saw John Wayne and just froze... er ah ah, I said Mr. Wayne there right here. He said thanks son and went about his business. At 17 I was intimidated by such a great actor, wish I could do that over.
 
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