5 Best John Wayne War Movies

The 5 best John Wayne war movies are very entertaining, even after all these years. They are some of John Wayne's best movies, and Wayne himself was a total fish out of water in traditionally and historically very liberal and pro-Democrat Hollywood. A staunch conservative Republican, Wayne supported the Vietnam War, was very anti-communist, and was a loyal supporter of the House Un-American Activities Committee.

1. "The Fighting Seabees." "The Fighting Seabees" takes the number one spot because of its account of the establishment of the US Navy's construction battalion. From 1944, this film sees John Wayne starring as a tough boss of construction by the name of Wedge Donovan. In the film, Wayne's character takes the lead when enemy forces land on the island he and his men are working.
2. "Back to Bataan." From 1945, "Back to Bataan" takes the number two position because of its attempt to be a historical portrayal of some of the events that occurred immediately after the Battle of Bataan on the island called Luzon in the Philippines. Wayne stars as a colonel who stays in the Philippines to recruit guerilla fighters against the occuyping Japanese.
3. "They Were Expendable." Also from 1945 and directed by John Ford, it tells the story of a motor boat squadron commander and a skipper during Japan's invasion of the Philippines in World War II. This film takes the three slot on a very noteworthy reason: While many of the events depicted are fictional, this film at the time was though to portray real events! As a result, it is still regarded for its verisimilitude.
4. "Sands of Iwo Jima." "Sands of Iwo Jima" comes in at number four due to its many Oscars for which it was nominated. Starring Wayne as a really hated squad leader in the Marines (because he's tough on his men), this film shows that even so-called tough guys like Wayne's John Stryker character have a heart of gold, when he picks up a girl at a bar, but then gives her all his money after discovering she's supporting an infant by herself.
5. "Flying Leathernecks." Out of 1951 comes "Flying Leathernecks," which sees Wayne star as Major Dan Kirby, a man who is the new commander in a unit of US Marine Corps aviators. Look at this film to see the authentic Hellcat fighter planes used in the first part of the movie.