Old Injuries
However, it’s also possible that Wayne couldn’t physically serve in the army. This is because he sustained football injuries that might have prevented him from fighting in the war. Nonetheless, it’s clear that the actor didn’t try very hard to enlist.
Other Allegations
There were also implications that Wayne might have believed serving as a private in the US army was beneath him. Ford’s grandson stated that the actor told him it would be a waste of his time spending two years picking up cigarette butts.