Despite his size and rugged features, John Wayne was actually a very sensitive and patriotic American. I was recently reading an article pertaining to his life. The teenage daughter of a friend was in an motorcycle accident and as a result was having to have one of her legs amputated. Hearing about the accident, John Wayne sent her a short note: "Dear Cindy, Sorry to hear about your accident. Hope you will be all right. Signed John Wayne"
The note was delivered to her and she answered it with this reply. "Dear Mr. Wayne, I got your note. Thanks for writing to me. I like you very much. I am going to be all right because Jesus is going to help me. Mr. Wayne, do you know Jesus? I sure hope you know Jesus, Mr. Wayne, because I cannot imagine Heaven being complete without John Wayne being there. I hope, if you don't know Jesus, that you will give your heart to Jesus right now. See you in Heaven. Signed Cindy"
She placed the letter in an envelope and wrote "John Wayne" across the front. A family friend came by to visit her later in the day, seeing the letter laying on her nightstand he asked if she wanted the letter delivered, as he was having dinner with John Wayne that evening.
Later that evening, in a restaurant a party of twelve gathered with John Wayne to have dinner. They were laughing and having a good time, the guy happened to reach into his pocket and felt the letter and remembered his promise. John Wayne was seated at the head of the table, the guy took out the letter and said, "Hey, Duke, I visited with Schuller's daughter in the hospital and she wrote you a letter." They passed the letter down to John Wayne.
They kept on laughing and enjoying the evening, when one of them looked down the table and noticed that John Wayne was crying. One of them asked him what was the matter? He said, "I want to read you this letter." He read the letter to them. He once again begin to weep, folding the letter he put it in his pocket and pointed to the man who delivered it to him and said; "You go tell that little lady that right now, in this restaurant, right here, John Wayne gives his heart to Jesus Christ and I will see her in heaven."
Three weeks later, June 11, 1979 , John Wayne Passed Away