Wayne.

This is coolbert.

In the movie, "Sands of Iwo Jima", John Wayne plays the role of Sergeant Stryker.

Stryker.

There have been two soldiers named Stryker that have won the Medal of Honor. Neither related to one another. Both posthumous too.

Private Stryker in World War Two [WW2]:

"STRYKER, STUART S.

Rank and organization. Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company E, 513th Parachute Infantry, 17th Airborne Division. Place and date: Near Wesel, Germany, 24 March 1945. Entered service at: Portland, Oreg. Birth. Portland, Oreg. G.O. No.: 117, 11 December 1945. Citation. He was a platoon runner . . . when Pfc. Stryker voluntarily left a place of comparative safety, and, armed with a carbine, ran to the head of the unit. In full view of the enemy and under constant fire, he exhorted the men to get to their feet and follow him . . . Twenty-five yards from the objective the heroic soldier was killed by the enemy fusillades . . . The intrepidity and unhesitating self-sacrifice of Pfc. Stryker were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service."

And.

Specialist Stryker in Vietnam:

"STRYKER, ROBERT F.

Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company C, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Loc Ninh, Republic of Vietnam, 7 November 1967. Entered service at: Throop, N.Y. Born: 9 November 1944, Auburn, N.Y. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty . . . With complete disregard for his safety, he threw himself upon the mine as it was detonated. He was mortally wounded as his body absorbed the blast and shielded his comrades from the explosion. His unselfish actions were responsible for saving the lives of at least 6 of his fellow soldiers."

The newest U.S. Army combat vehicle, the Stryker, is named after the two Medal of Honor winners.

I do not know if the screen writer for "Sands of Iwo Jima" was aware of the WW2 heroics of Pvt. Stryker? Is this where the name selected for the character of John Wayne came from? Perhaps NO ONE can answer this.

Surprisingly, to most people, John Wayne never did serve in the military. Wayne was thirty five years old when American entered the war. Wayne's basic attitude toward enlisting was:

[I am paraphrasing here.]

"I was too old to be commissioned as an officer, and would have had to have entered the military as an enlisted man. I could not see myself cleaning a latrine."

[other actor contemporaries of Wayne did serve with distinction. Jimmy Stewart and Jackie Coogan being combat pilots, Clark Gable [an enlisted man] being a ball turret [bomber] machine gunner instructor.]

John Wayne did make a whole lot of very good WW2 movies. "Back to Bataan". "Fighting Seabees". "In Harms Way". And of course, "Sands of Iwo Jima".

While John Wayne did not actually serve in the military, I think most would agree, he DID capture in his acting roles the attitude and demeanor of HOW the American military man WANTED to see himself. Tough guy ready to sacrifice all if necessary.

There WAS real conviction when Wayne would say in a war movie, "get the Japs!!". This was the attitude the American fighting man in the Pacific WANTED to have. HOW he wanted to be portrayed.

John Wayne probably could have served with honor in the capacity as physical training instructor or something like that. As did Joe Louis or Gerald R. Ford [President]. Wayne did play football at USC prior to his acting days. Presumably this would have been a good fit for him??

coolbert.