‘John Wayne is the United States of America’

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the passing of John Wayne. To honor this great man, National Review’s John J. Miller has put together a terrific tribute. I was very pleased to be asked to contribute along with Andrew Klavan and our very own Leo Grin, Michael Long, Andrew Leigh, Andy Levy, S. T. Karnick, and others. I urge you to check it out.

It was Maureen O’Hara who said “John Wayne is the United States of America,” and that he was. Honorable, generous, brave, selfless, aware of his own flaws… The great thing about being a John Wayne fan is that he survives all attempts at deconstruction. His timeless work obviously speaks for itself, but the man himself has withstood the toughest of all critics, time. John Wayne doesn’t disappoint. (more…)