 |
|
YOU CAN READ MISS O'HARA'S ENTIRE STATEMENT TO CONGRESS BY CLICKING ON THIS LINK. CLICK 'BACK' ON YOUR BROWSER TO RETURN HERE.
MISS O'HARA'S STATEMENT TO THE CONGRESS
THE JOHN WAYNE COMMEMORATIVE MEDAL WAS AUTHORIZED BY THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS THE VERY NEXT DAY, ON MAY 23, 1979 AND WAS STRUCK BY THE U.S. MINT.
EACH MEDAL IS INSCRIBED WITH A PERMANENT EDITION NUMBER AND IS INDIVIDUALLY ELECTROPLATED WITH 24 KARAT GOLD. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME AN AMERICAN FILM ACTOR HAD BEEN HONORED. JOHN WAYNE WAS THE 32nd PERSON TO BE AWARDED SUCH A SPECIAL CONGRESSIONAL TRIBUTE.
FRANK GASPARRO OF THE U.S. MINT DESIGNED THE MEDAL. PHOTOGRAPHS FROM MICHAEL WAYNE WERE GIVEN TO GASPARRO ON JUNE 1, 1979, TO CAPTURE WAYNES LIKENESS. ON JUNE 8TH, THE DRAWINGS WERE SENT TO MICHAEL WAYNE FOR APPROVAL. WORK BEGAN THE FOLLOWING MONDAY.
THE BRONZE COIN IS AVAILABLE IN TWO SIZES. 1-5/16 INCHES AND 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER. AT THE TIME THE ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE CONCERNING THE MEDALS, 10,000 ORDERS WERE RECEIVED FOR THE THREE INCH MEDAL.
THE FRONT SIDE IS A BUST SHOT OF WAYNE FROM THE MOVIE "THE ALAMO", WITH THE WORDS:"JOHN WAYNE AMERICAN" INSCRIBED AT THE TOP. THE BACK SIDE OF THE MEDAL HAS AN ENGRAVING OF WAYNE ON HORSEBACK WITH A MONUMENT VALLEY-TYPE BACKGROUND. THE SCENE IS FROM THE MOVIE "HONDO".
THE ACTUAL GOLD MEDAL WAS PRESENTED TO THE WAYNE FAMILY AT THE U.S. CAPITOL ON MARCH 6, 1980. INFORMATION ON THE MEDALS CAN BE OBTAINED FROM: THE HISTORIC PROVIDENCE MINT, 222 HARRISON STREET, PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND 02901.
 |