In recognition of the 82nd anniversary yesterday of the John Wayne movie, Flying Tigers (1942), the official John Wayne Facebook page addressed Wayne's draft exemption during World War II.
They wrote:
“Don’t try to win this war all by yourself.” —John Wayne as Captain Jim Gordon in Flying Tigers
Today marks the 82nd Anniversary of the release of Flying Tigers (1942). This was John Wayne's first role as a pilot. The New York Times called the film “a first rate aerial circus chock-full of exciting dog fights” adding, “Mr. Wayne is the sort of fellow who inspires confidence.”
Though many had questioned John Wayne's getting an exemption from military service during World War II, it was not entirely his fault. Duke was exempted from service due to his age (34 at the time of Pearl Harbor) and family status, classified as 3-A (family deferment). He repeatedly wrote to John Ford, asking to be placed in Ford's military unit, but Ford consistently postponed it until after he had finished one more film.
John Wayne did not attempt to prevent his reclassification as 1-A (draft eligible), but Republic Pictures was emphatically resistant to losing him; Herbert J. Yates, President of Republic, threatened Duke with a lawsuit if he walked away from his contract and Republic intervened in the Selective Service process, requesting his further deferment.
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