When John Wayne passed Pratt & Whitney took out a full page in the WSJ with the following:
Duke, we're gonna miss ya
When you came riding into town, varmints scrambled, dance hall girls powdered their noses, and yellow-bellies ran for the hills.
You ambled into our hearts, stiffened our spines, and made us stand taller.
From the sands of Iwo Jima to the gates of the Alamo, you taught us all a lesson.
Sure, your movies were play-acting.
But they showed that our true strength is in our people.
The worker on the production line, the fighting man, truck driver, waitress, miner, farmer, nurse, cowboy.
Wherever you’re going, Duke, roll yourself a smoke, take a slug of whiskey, lean back, put a thumb under your suspenders –
and take pride that you taught us the true meaning of grit.
John Wayne gave more to America than he took from America.
How many of us can say the same?
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