The airport named for John WAYNE might get renamed because of his racism

[UTUSN]

**********QUOTE*******

https://www.tmz.com/2020/06/27/john-wayne-airport-name-rename-actor-racism-orange-county/

JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT
MOVE TO RENAME
... Because Actor Was Extreme Racist

It's about time, but there's finally a serious effort to change the name of John Wayne Airport in Orange County because the actor was famously racist and homophobic.

The Orange County Democratic Party passed a resolution, calling out Wayne's "racist and bigoted statements" and demanding the O.C. Board of Supervisors rename the airport Orange County Airport.

It's pretty amazing folks have tolerated the name this long. Back in 1971, Wayne told Playboy ... "I believe in white supremacy until the blacks are educated to a point of responsibility. I don't believe in giving authority and positions of leadership and judgment to irresponsible people."

And, there was more ... "I don't feel guilty about the fact that 5 or 10 generations ago these people were slaves."

And, then the actor set his sights on Native Americans ... "I don't feel we did wrong in taking this great country away from them ... There were great numbers of people who needed new land, and the Indians were selfishly trying to keep it for themselves."

And, Wayne went after gays, using a homophobic slur to refer to the 2 main characters in "Midnight Cowboy."

**********UNQUOTE******

[BannonsLiver]

1. His Johnny One Note acting was never worthy of the acclaim he received

[UTUSN]

5. There'll be weeping at the VFW, also because of having to wear masks.

A vet said something worshipful about WAYNE, and I said, you know he was a draft dodger, don't you? And an *actor*?!1

Sometimes it's rough crushing dreams. Other times, it's not.

[stopdiggin]

68. always been my response when

the subject of JW comes up.
What acting?
---- ----

[kimbutgar]

2. There's a big statute of the Duke in the airport.

I wonder if that statue will also be put away in a closet somewhere and forgotten.

Funny I have this book about Hollywood secrets and this part about JohnWayne being a big racist was in it. It was an open secret in Hollywood black actors were not to be in any of his films.

[ProfessorGAC]

12. Seen It Many Times

Just name the place Orange County.
And lose the statue.

[Brother Buzz]

16. I laughed at that statue when I walked past it, thinking it should fall over

For a dude who stood 6'4" he had ridiculously small boots (9.5 shoe size)

[Zorro]

22. He's got the smallest footprints outside Grauman's

Surprisingly little feet.

[Brother Buzz]

28. Are they still there? I thought Lucy stole them

I understand Lucy was disappointed when she got home and noticed the small booty prints, "You know what they say about small feet...."

[kimbutgar]

26. There was a documentary on PBS American Masters last week about Mae West

They talked about her distinctive walk and compared it to John Wayne’s stagger walk. And I remember that scene in The Birdcage with Nathan Lane imitating the duke walk to be a manly man!

[StarfishSaver]

41. That was HILARIOUS

Nathan Lane (trying to look more "masculine" by walking like John Wayne, but looking more effeminate than ever) : "No good?"

Robin Williams: "Actually, it's perfect. I just never realized John Wayne walked like that"

[kimbutgar]

42. Every time this movie comes on I get caught up and watch it.

That John Wayne walk scene is hilarious.

[StarfishSaver]

44. And now, every time I see John Wayne, I think of Nathan Lane and that walk

I don't think that's how ole Duke hoped he be remembered. LOL!

[snort]

25. What about Woody Strode?

Did he make an exception for him because woody could obviously kick the dukes ass?

[kimbutgar]

29. The documentary I saw about John Wayne said e and Woody didn't interact much off set between

Scenes.

[oasis]

40. Roscoe Lee Brown had a sizable role in "The Cowboys", Raymond

St. Jacques "Green Berets". I don't doubt that Wayne was a hardcore racist but he knew the value of black dollars at the box office.

[leftieNanner]

3. Terrible Actor

And apparently, a terrible man.

[rockfordfile]

64. I agree

[Wounded Bear]

4. Orange County Airport was its original name...

good idea. Never really got behind the name change, though I watched a lot of his old movies and enjoyed them, I never thought of him as being enough of a civic leader to deserve that kind of honor. And that was before his rather poor opinions of minorities were really made public.

I don't live there any more, so my opinion doesn't matter much on this. But have at it. The 'award' is not really deserved.

[UTUSN]

6. I think it was more about wingnut macho worship than "civic leader."

[Wounded Bear]

8. Yeah, was the same era when they tried to name everything after Reagan...

[StarfishSaver]

47. I'm convinced they were desperately trying to get his name plastered on as many things as possible

before history got ahold of him and no one would want his name on anything.

[SharonClark]

50. The repugnant plan was to have a monument to RR

in every state. We’ve got one in Des Moines, privately funded, I don’t know where they’ve hidden it.

[Wounded Bear]

53. IIRC the actual plan was for every county...

Least deserving pres for that much adolation.

[cojoel]

34. Apparently its original name in 1923 was Eddie Martin Airport

From the bottom entry on the page at https://www.ocair.com/reportspublications/publications/JWA%20Chronology.pdf?v=20200123

Eddie Martin opened Eddie Martin Airport after signing a five-year lease with the landowner,
the Irvine Company. Martin also opened a flying school and established Martin Aviation, one
of the nation's oldest aviation firms.

[Wounded Bear]

54. I stand corrected...

[sfstaxprep]

7. Rename It Kobe Bryant Airport

I know that's still controversial, but Kobe is a local hero, so it would get lots of support.

[Wounded Bear]

10. Meh, he's kind of recent...Magic or Kareem would be more historical...

and perhaps more generally popular. Kareem, especially, would be a good one to poke a stick in the GOPers eye.

[dogknob]

33. He's LA. Not OC.

[StarfishSaver]

45. There's something off to me about naming an airport after a man who died in an air crash

[liberaltrucker]

63. Like Will Rogers World Airport in OKC?

[DBoon]

9. I'd rename it Gwen Stefani Airport

or maybe Rikk Agnew Airport

[dogknob]

32. Yep

[demosincebirth]

11. Was he in WW2, or was he just an other guy with "bone spurs"?

[USALiberal]

24. Deferred for having 4 children. Nt

[marie999]

30. Our neighbor's father had 8 children and reenlisted in the Navy in 1942. n/t

[Bengus81]

56. My dad had a guy in his outfit shorter than Mickey Rooney.....

Another PHONY using a Trump "bone spur" excuse to stay home,make movies and bang Judy Garland.

[zipplewrath]

27. No, mostly age

America's entry into World War II resulted in a deluge of support for the war effort from all sectors of society, and Hollywood was no exception. Wayne was exempted from service due to his age (34 at the time of Pearl Harbor) and family status (classified as 3-A – family deferment). Wayne repeatedly wrote to John Ford saying he wanted to enlist, on one occasion inquiring whether he could get into Ford's military unit, but consistently kept postponing it until after "he finished just one or two pictures".[35] Wayne did not attempt to prevent his reclassification as 1-A (draft eligible), but Republic Studios was emphatically resistant to losing him since he was their only A-list actor under contract. Herbert J. Yates, President of Republic, threatened Wayne with a lawsuit if he walked away from his contract,[36] and Republic Pictures intervened in the Selective Service process, requesting Wayne's further deferment.[37]


With Joan Blondell in Lady for a Night (1942)
U.S. National Archives records indicate that Wayne, in fact, did make an application[38] to serve in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), precursor to the modern CIA, and had been accepted within the U.S. Army's allotted billet to the OSS. William J. Donovan, OSS Commander, wrote Wayne a letter informing him of his acceptance into the Field Photographic Unit, but the letter went to his estranged wife Josephine's home. She never told him about it. Wayne toured U.S. bases and hospitals in the South Pacific for three months in 1943 and 1944.[39] with the USO.[40][41][42] During this trip, he carried out a request from Donovan to assess whether General Douglas Macarthur, commander of the South West Pacific Area, or his staff were hindering the work of the OSS.[19]:88 Donovan later issued Wayne an OSS Certificate of Service to memorialize Wayne's contribution to the OSS mission.[19]:88[43]

[Bengus81]

61. Clark Gable enlisted and he was 40. Jimmy Stewart was 32

Wayne laughably said that Republic pics would sue him for walking out on his contract if he went and served--like any jury would have backed Republic pictures in a lawsuit like that.

Nah...Wayne's career was on the rise and he didn't want to blow it by...maybe getting killed--let others get killed in his place.

[Bengus81]

55. Stay home and cashed in making movies while my Dad was in China/Burma/India

From late 42-45. The Duke felt sooooo bad about skipping WWII that he just had to make all those movies after the War. Fuck that POS.

[tenderfoot]

13. Good.

Why was it named after him in the first place?

[edhopper]

19. Orange County has always been very Republican

and they love fake macho guys like Reagan and Trump.

[Brother Buzz]

48. Orange County WAS traditionally very Republican

These days, it's at the crossroads and is in the process of flipping. The base that loved the fake macho guys like Reagan and John Wayne have, well, moved on to happier hunting grounds. Granted there are a few old curmudgeons still sitting out on their front porches, yelling some nonsense about getting off their lawn, but they are the minority these days.

[edhopper]

51. Good to hear.

[Brother Buzz]

60. Was a time, Orange County was the West Coast epicenter for that wacko John Birch Society shit

Hell, even Nixon was apprehensive about it.

[edhopper]

62. I lived in LA in the 80s

was like that then.

[cojoel]

37. In addition to the above, he was also a resident of nearby Newport Beach

The Board of Supervisors renamed Orange County Airport to John Wayne Airport, Orange
County (JWA) in memory of the late movie star and Newport Beach resident, John Wayne,
who passed away on June 11, 1979 (Resolution. No. 79-950) (6.20).

https://www.ocair.com/reportspublications/publications/JWA%20Chronology.pdf?v=20200123

[Mike 03]

14. Name if after Richard Pryor or Lenny Bruce

They were both geniuses and I can't think of anything named after either one of them.

Or "Richard Pryor/Lenny Bruce Airport"

[katmondoo]

15. Rename Washington DC airport at the same time.

[Polly Hennessey]

18. Agree.

Rid us of Reagan. Another bad actor.

[Polly Hennessey]

17. Terrible human.

Glad to hear about possible name change and get rid of the stupid statue.

[lpbk2713]

20. I kinda doubt it for now.

He still has rich and powerful friends.

[edhopper]

21. Two more things about Wayne

Very big supporter of the Blacklist and outing Hollywood "commies"

Saw Kirk Douglas after he played Van Gogh in Lust for Life, an said "Why did you play that Queer. There are so few of us real men left."

Yeah, rename that place.

[Brother Buzz]

31. That, and he was a USDA Prime Chickenhawk

[edhopper]

38. Absolutely

was on a Hollywood set while other actors were fighting in WWII.

[onetexan]

23. He has said that he believes in white supremacy

Google the article by WaPo. He has also said that blacks shouldnt be running the country.

[gabeana]

35. One of my favorite scenes from the movie Trumbo

[edhopper]

39. I loved that scene.

[Iggo]

52. Whew! That felt good!

[Bengus81]

59. Thanks...I've never seen that movie. Have to find it!

[Demovictory9]

36. that's my primary airport. big ass statue of John Wayne in it.

[lame54]

43. Dalton Trumbo airport

[kskiska]

46. I had to land there once.

It requires a very steep descent and is a little scary.

[Iggo]

49. If the writer knew anything about Orange County...

...he or she wouldn't find it anywhere near amazing.

[Azathoth]

57. I'm against the renaming hysteria, but Wayne was *always* an empty suit

He was an unreconstructed racist and a mediocre actor who never served in the military and whose swaggering screen persona was created for him by John Ford. Like many "Merica, fuck yeah!" right-wingers, his affected patriotism and bravado was inversely proportional to his actual record of courage and service.

His name never belonged on an airport to begin with. At least General Lee was an actual general who led troops and accomplished things in the real world. Wayne as a person was a *complete* fiction. Sure, some of his films were entertaining, but so are some of James Woods' films.

[Raine]

58. I always thought it was ridiculous to name an airport after an actor. nt

[uponit7771]

65. Good, John Wayne seemed to be a racist and an asshole. My mother hatred him

[cabot]

66. This is out of left field, but rename it after 18th/19th century writer John Wade

The call letters (or whatever they're known as) wouldn't have to be changed. True, he has absolutely no connection with the US or Orange County, but wtf? Why not.

https://oll.libertyfund.org/quotes/441

The British Philosophic Radical John Wade (1788-1875) compiled detailed lists of all those who used the British state to get taxpayers money and legal privileges with the aim of so angering the British people that they would support the movement for reform.


Or, failing that, name it after John Waters. He's connected to the film industry.

[rockfordfile]

67. He was a supporter of the Vietnam war while our men died

John Wayne pusher of the Vietnam war lies and yet racist um-American stayed home on his boat. I wouldn't be surprised if he was a supporter of the fascist during WW2.