Why John Wayne Is An American Icon

John Wayne , American , is all that is inscribed in the specially struck gold medal posthumously awarded in 1980 by an act of Congress to the legendary actor who rode and shot his way to fame in such classic westerns as Stagecoach , The Searchers , Red River , True Grit , and The Shootist . It aptly describes the man whom several generations of Americans have idolized , seeing in him the embodiment of what they believed a true American should be : strong , dignified , straightforward fiercely independent . People have found it impossible to distinguish his screen persona from

his private image : whatever his role , John Wayne always acted as himself . His staying power at the box office years after his prime attests to enduring public devotion despite controversies spawned by his conservative views . In this , focus will be made on why John Wayne is an American icon , trace his rise to fame , and discuss his relevance and significance to American culture

A descendant of Scottish , English , and Irish pioneers who migrated to America before the Civil War , John Wayne was born Marion Michael Morrison on May 26 , 1907 at Winterset , Iowa . His father , Clyde Morrison was a handsome man who worked as a pharmacist clerk , while his mother vivacious , red-haired , blue-eyed ' Mary Brown had a hot temper and a strong will ' Having a girl 's name made Marion a target of bullies , and early in his life he learned to fight back . His mother scolded him for making trouble while his father praised him for his bravery . Don 't go looking for fights ' said Clyde , but if you find yourself in one make damn sure you win (Wayne 7-8 . The son would remember this advice and later make it the underlying theme in nearly all his films

When Clyde was diagnosed with tuberculosis , the Morrisons moved to an 80-acre homestead on the edge of the Mojave Desert near Palmdale California . In this rugged country , Marion learned to ride horses and shoot game from his father who was a good hunter . When Clyde recovered the family moved to Glendale , California where young Marion got a job delivering newss . Local firemen who noticed the lanky lad started calling him Big Duke ' after his pet Airedale , to the boy 's delight He convinced his parents to call him by his new nickname , and from that time on , he was Duke ' to everyone except his mother who did not like him being named after a dog (Wayne 15

Duke performed well in high school despite having to work delivering newss early in the morning and making deliveries for a local store after his classes to augment the family income . As a junior he was elected class president and staff member of the school . In his senior year he was an all-A student , chaired several committees in the campus , and was the school 's top football player . He was class salutatorian at graduation . He was a model young American

Duke wanted to join the U .S . Naval Academy at...