Who Is John Wayne?

My VIP for this week is John Wayne – THE John Wayne, the famous, bigger-than-life movie star. The Duke died decades ago, but he continues to influence the current generation at time. The reason for my choice is our upcoming 250^th anniversary of American independence. Jeffrey H. Anderson shared some historical information that many people today may not know or may not remember.

Many Americans of Generation X and older will recall the red, white, and blue American Freedom Train that was a centerpiece of America’s glorious bicentennial celebration in 1976. But few know that the Freedom Train – pulled by a steam locomotive and filled with American historical artifacts – was the brainchild of none other than John Wayne.

 As we fast approach the 250^th anniversary of American independence, it’s time to get Wayne’s American Freedom Train back on the tracks as part of the quarter-millennium celebration.

Ross Rowland, who spearheaded the American Freedom Train effort as a young man, recently told me how Wayne came to have the idea. Rowland had run away from home in the 1950s and fortuitously ended up working as a groundskeeper for Wayne. The Duke befriended Rowland and eventually convinced him to return home. Rowland, whose father, grandfather, and great-grandfather had all been railroad men, had success on Wall Street and then commemorated the centennial of the 1869 “golden spike” – the completion of the transcontinental railroad – by having a steam train travel from New York City to Salt Lake City.

Wayne joined Rowland for the final leg of that journey (and arranged to have “True Grit” premiere in Salt Lake City the night before). As they rode in an open-air train car, observing the large crowds as they passed, Rowland says Wayne told him something to the effect of, “You know, Ross, we’ve got America’s 200^th birthday coming up. We should do this for that.” And they did. Rowland handled most of the planning and execution, Wayne got support from Bing Crosby and others in Hollywood, and President Richard Nixon agreed to let the train carry artifacts usually housed at the Smithsonian, Library of Congress, and National Archives.

The American Freedom Train was a tremendous success. During the bicentennial period, it traveled to all 48 contiguous states, stopped 138 times, and had an average of more than 50,000 visitors board at each stop. Riding along a moving walkway, visitors saw such artifacts as Paul Revere’s saddlebags, President George Washington’s copy of the Constitution, the actual Louisiana Purchase document, Abraham Lincoln’s top hat, Babe Ruth’s bat, John F. Kennedy’s handwritten copy of his inaugural address, and other artifacts, enough to fill 12 display cars.

The American Freedom Train, perhaps more than anything else, tied the national and local bicentennial celebrations together….

During the recent period of peak wokeness – from around 2020 to 2024 – it looked like the nation’s 250^th anniversary risked becoming more of a condemnation than a celebration of American history. President Donald Trump’s defeat of Vice President Kamala Harris largely ensured that the occasion would be a celebration. Yet there is a very real danger that this milestone anniversary – perhaps the best chance in 50 years to reset how Americans view our nation’s founding – might barely register with the public, making it a massive lost opportunity.

Planning for the quarter-millennium is woefully far behind where planning was at this stage for the bicentennial….

Fortunately, the American Freedom Train could hit the tracks in the first half of 2026. Rob Gardner, president of the American Steam Railroad, told me the “sister engine” of a locomotive that pulled the train during the bicentennial is being restored and will be ready for action. All that’s really needed is for President Trump to authorize the use of federal artifacts at the Smithsonian, Library of Congress, and National Archives, consistent with his recent executive order telling the Smithsonian to stop denigrating America and instead “remind Americans of our extraordinary heritage.” Everything else would quickly fall into place.

There’s still a chance to make the quarter-millennium anniversary a spectacular and unifying event like the bicentennial was a half-century ago. Reprising the American Freedom Train is a big part of that. Let’s bring back John Wayne’s rolling tribute to America’s finest.

I remember that the bicentennial celebration was a big deal. However, I was living in Alaska in 1976 and did not have an opportunity to see the American Freedom Train. I expect that I would appreciate it much more now than I would have been fifty years ago. I hope that my readers will be watching for it.