Back to Journal
The entire Wayne Family poses for their Christmas card photo at John Wayne’s home in Newport Beach, California, circa 1965. Photo courtesy of John Wayne Enterprises
John Wayne Enterprises dedicates every Thursday to sharing stories of grit, Americana roots, courage, selfless acts, perseverance, strength or right vs. wrong otherwise known as John Wayne Values on our social media channels. The pieces we share each week represent the attributes John Wayne held dear and the values he would have instilled on himself…and those he expected of others.
In keeping with our John Wayne Values theme, we recently posted a question on social media to ask his fans, “What values have you learned from John Wayne?” The result was a tremendous outpouring of respect for the beliefs on which John Wayne stood that his fans had adopted through his example. The feedback was both inspiring and on target.
After receiving over 750 comments on Facebook, we noticed similarities in the values expressed among all John Wayne fans. The lessons learned were predominantly referred to under these three categories:
-
Patriotism & Country
-
Family
-
Role Model
We enjoyed hearing what principals you (the fans!) have learned from John Wayne and would like to share a handful of our favorites:
Patriotism
“Patriotism! His love of country was evidenced in his daily life.”
“Honor America, our country, our flag and those who serve.”
“To be proud of our country and always show respect for America.”
“Most of the values I have today are due to watching John Wayne westerns…there was right and wrong, no in-between! Truth, honesty, integrity, justice, respect and love of this great land and its laws!”
Family
“He taught me right from wrong and respect for others, to be considerate of my elders and treat women with respect.”
“The values I learned from Duke are the love and respect for my family and country.”
“Family comes first.”
“To be self-reliant, but above all, to love my family and to enjoy them as much as I can.”
Role Model
“A man is only as good as his word, and the values he lives by.”
“He set an example. He was a role model. When I have encountered difficult situations in life, I have asked myself, what would John Wayne do in this situation! “
“What I learned from John Wayne was to always stand up for what you believe is right, no matter who is watching or what the consequences may be. I taught these same values to my girls and have watched them put them into practice.”
“Be honest. Be responsible and be a good person and a champion to those that need help.”
John Wayne was many things to many people. He was a courageous force for America, a loving father and an unwavering hero on the big screen. In short, he was a man who did what he thought was best.
