John Wayne-Lee Harvey Oswald Photograph
Photo of John Wayne and Lee Harvey Oswald featured in Quiz #136, November 25, 2007. Researched by Greg Webster and Stan Read.
www.forensicgenealogy.info/contest_136_results.html
Mike Dalton has been promoted to the level of Quizmaster Extraordinaire for his discovery of the People Magazine article that was the original published source for the Wayne-Oswald photo that we featured in Quiz #136, November 25, 2007.
To read about this quiz, and to see additional pictures and comments about Lee Harvey Oswald and John Wayne, please visit the answer page at: www.forensicgenealogy.info/contest_136_results.html
Mike’s comments have been added to the site, and are repeated here: 
Hello Colleen: Happened to have opportunity to stop by my local public library today and found the photo source. People Magazine issue Mar 6, 1978: book review concerning book by Edward Jay Epstein titled Legend (1978)— Lee Harvey Oswald. Full page dining room photo with said subjects Wayne and Oswald. Photo courtesy of John Marckx. The library also had the said biography of Oswald which I was able to peruse.
Synopsis: Epstein was funded by Reader’s Digest for this book project; he hired a team of people to obtain whatever documents they could and interview people who knew Oswald.
Among these was USMC John Marckx (photographer) who served with Oswald in his stint from Japan to Philipines and back. Their marine company landed at Cubic Point, Philipines in mid January, 1958. About week and half later they were at the Island of Corregidor some 40 miles distant.
At about this time John Wayne on a break from filming The Barbarian and Geisha landed there in a helicopter. He had lunch with the marine officers where the company billeted ie the bombed out ruin of a hospital and flew out, later that afternoon. Oswald enjoyed mess hall duties and cooking meals; it is very likely that Oswald helped to prepare their meal. John Wayne was known for visiting troops overseas, throughout his acting career in WWII, Korea and Vietnam {and probably postwar in Philipines and Japan, where US had a strong military presence).
I still have not been able to find a timeline of Wayne’s travels. Dining room photo in book not that much clearer: it does show names and dates in chalk or white paint on a back wall (ie who was there beforehand. In 1958 the Island of Corregidor (last holdout of US troops in Philipines in 1942) still had not been completely cleaned up of battle ruins and debris. It was somewhat of a tourist attraction because of its history. On March 7th, 1958 Oswald’s Marine Company departed on LST Wexford County for return trip back to Japan. Contest photo: a thoughtful entry in remembrance of the tragic events that took place on Friday Nov. 22, 1963; whereas in 2007, nary a mention seen in the media amidst Thanksgiving celebrations and other distractions.
Regards, Mike Dalton
