October 9, 2025 • 17 mins
On this episode of Our American Stories, before he shared the screen with John Wayne in Rio Bravo, John Russell was fighting on Guadalcanal as a decorated Marine. He returned from WWII with a battlefield commission, a reputation for valor, and a rugged presence that caught Hollywood’s eye. Soon, he was cast in films and television, rising to fame as the star of Lawman and earning a place among Western legends like Clint Eastwood. As part of our ongoing Hollywood Goes to War series, Roger McGrath shares the story of the Marine who came home and made his mark on the screen
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
This is Lee Habibe, and this is Our American Stories,
the show where America is the star and the American
people coming to you from the city where the West begins,
Fort Worth, Texas. And now it's time for another Hollywood
goes to War's Story with Roger McGrath. McGrath is the
author of Gunfighters, Highwaymen and Vigilantes, Violence on the Frontier,
(00:32):
the US Marine, and former history professor at UCLA. McGrath
has appeared on numerous History Channel documentaries and he's a
regular contributor here at Our American Stories, Take it Away, McGrath.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
John Russell had a forty year career in Hollywood, appearing
in fifty movies in more than two hundred episodes of
television shows. It was in a wide variety of movie genres,
but more often than not it was westerns. Standing six
foot three and a half with a square jaw, chiseled features,
and a lean, athletic body, he was a perfect lawman
(01:16):
or a fearsome hired gun Clinistwood used him in the
latter role in Pale Writer.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
I don't know how to dance. It's easy, you just
move your feet to the rhythm.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Despite his decades of fine work in movies. John Russell
is probably best remembered for a starring role as Marshall
Dan Troupe in one hundred and fifty six episodes of Lawman,
which aired on TV from nineteen fifty eight through nineteen
sixty two.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
There's not going to be one kind of law for
decent citizens and another for gunfighters.
Speaker 5 (01:58):
It's going to be one law for all your right
hand when you get angry.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
John Lawrence Russell is born in nineteen twenty one in
Los Angeles to parents John and Amy Russell. The father
is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis.
He survived the sinking of the cruiser San Diego during
World War One. By the time his son is born,
he's a highly successful executive in insurance. The family is
(02:29):
a large home with a cook and a servant. John
Lawrence Russell is the first born. He will soon have
a sister and a brother. John has an ideal childhood,
during well in school and excelling in sports, He grows
into a strapping young man and after graduating from high school,
(02:50):
goes to UCLA for theater arts because he's interested in acting,
and for sports because he's an outstanding half let. Russell's
into his third year at UCLA when the Japanese launch
their sneak attack on Pearl Harbor on December seventh, nineteen
(03:12):
forty one. He drops out of college and joins the
Marine Corps. In February nineteen forty two, he excels in
boot camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego.
Because of his outstanding performance in his two years of college,
he's selected for Officers School. He continues to excel in
(03:32):
OSS and has commissioned a second lieutenant early in October
nineteen forty two. Lieutenant Russell is assigned to the sixth
Marine Regiment, second Marine Division, which surparts for Guadalcanal in
mid October. The Marines have been on Guadalcanal since August seventh,
(03:53):
when the men of the first Marine Division wade ashore
marine landing takes Japanese by surprise. Within days, the fighting
becomes brutal and intense. Japanese pour thousands of fresh soldiers
onto the island until they have thirty six thousand cracked
troops in the fight. At the same time, the US
(04:15):
Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy are slugging it out
in the waters surrounding Guadalcanal, resulting in dozens of ships
going to the bottom and thousands of sailors dying. Among
the sailors who die are the five Sullivan Brothers, whose
sacrifice becomes legendary on land and sea. The battle for
(04:38):
Guadalcanal is a blood path. After a brief stop in
New Zealand, Lieutenant Russell and the sixth Marines mayan the
on Guadalcanal, enjoined the battle early in January nineteen forty three.
The Japanese forces have been greatly depleted, with thousands of
men lost, but they are still fighting fanatically. The sixth
(05:03):
Marines are at first tasked with cleaning the Japanese out
of a series of jungle clad ravines on the northern
coast of Gualcanal, west of the Metanikaw River. Previous efforts
to dislodge the Japanese from these strongholds met with fierce resistance,
so the sixth Marines devise a new tactical plan. Instead
(05:26):
of attacking from the coast and working their way up
the ravines, the sixth Marines climb over ridges and attack
from the high ground, allowing them to fight their way
down the Ravines. Lieutenant Russell is in his first combat
and he quickly learns Japanese do not surrender. The only
(05:46):
way to defeat them is to kill them. He also
learns there is no surrender for Marines. Occasionally Marines are captured,
they suffer unspeakable torture at the hands of the Japanese
before being in the jungle clad Ravines. The fighting this
close quarter, occasionally hand to hand, its vicious, bloody exhausting.
(06:11):
By January seventeenth, the sixth Marines reached the beach at
the mouths of the Ravines Lavanta. Japanese Sendai Division is decimated.
The Marines leave the bodies of six hundred and forty
three dead Japanese in their wake. Only two Japanese are captured.
(06:32):
The next mission for the Dan Russell and the sixth
Marines is an advance along the coast to Cape Esperance,
which the Japanese are using as an evacuation site for
their troops. Resistance is fierce, but day by day the
Marines advanced towards their objective. By February, eighth Army units
(06:53):
from further inland and the sixth Marines along the coast
reach Cape Esperance before nearly two thousand Japanese are evacuated
by the Storiers.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
And you've been listening to Roger McGrath tell the story
of John Russell. And he appeared in countless movies, well
over fifty, but it was his real life experience in
war that was more harrowing than anything he ever did
on the screen. When we come back, the rest of
the story of John Russell, our Hollywood Goes to War
(07:26):
series continues here on our American Stories, Lee Habib here again.
Our American Stories tries to tell the stories of America's
past and present to Americans, and we want to hear
your stories too. There's some of our favorites. Send them
to us. Go to Ouramerican Stories dot com and click
(07:48):
the your stories tab. Again, please go to Alamerican Stories
dot com and click the your Stories tab and we
(08:09):
continue with our American Stories and our Hollywood Goes to
War's story with Roger McGrath, this time featuring the life
of John Russell. Let's pick up in the Pacific Islands
during World War Two. Here's McGrath telling the story of
John Russell.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
This is the end of the battle of Guadalcanal behind them.
The Japanese leave for the nineteen thousand dead disease, taking
perhaps half of them. Another twelve thousand Japanese die in
naval battles offshore, with Japan losing one carrier, two battleships,
four cruisers, eleven destroyers, six submarines, and thirteen transports. Japan
(08:54):
also loses six hundred and eighty airplanes. The guadal Campaign
is a disaster for the Japanese. Japanese Major General Kyle Gucci,
evacuated from Guadalcanal and lying on a cot suffering from malaria,
remarks to a Japanese war correspondent, we lost the battle
(09:16):
and Japan lost the war. The American victory at Guinalcanal
marks a turning point from Guadalcanal on Japan will be
on the defensive. However, the cost of the US victory
is a deer. Five thousand American sailors die and another
three thousand are wounded. The US Navy loses two carriers,
(09:39):
eight cruisers, and fifteen destroyers. The US also loses six
hundred and fifteen airplanes. The Marines lose twelve hundred men
in combat, and the army another six hundred. Another five
thousand marines and soldiers are wounded, but that's not the
whole story. More than marines are knocked out of combat
(10:01):
by malaria. Some men die, and nearly all of those
who contract malaria suffer recurrent bounce of the disease. By
the time the sixth Marines leave Guadalcanal at the end
of February nineteen forty three, Lieutenant John Russell is one
of those suffering terribly from malaria. With many other Marines
(10:24):
from Guadalcanal who have severe cases of malaria, he shipped
to the Naval Hospital at San Diego. He spends months
fighting the disease and can only return to limited duty.
His war is over in June nineteen forty four, he's
discharged from the Marines. Back home in Los Angeles, John
(10:49):
Russell is spotted by a talent scout while dining with
his wife at a POSH restaurant in Beverly Hills. He
soon signs a contract with the Universal Studios, appears in
three movies in nineteen forty five and another three in
nineteen forty six. His roles are minor and all about
one are uncredited. He's in three movies in nineteen forty
(11:13):
seven and forty eight in more substantial roles and is
becoming a well recognized actor. Nineteen forty nine is a
breakout year for Russell. He co stars in three of
the four movies he's in, moving into the upper ranks
of Hollywood. In thirteen movies from nineteen fifty through nineteen
(11:35):
fifty five, he either co stars or has strong supporting roles.
Most of the time he's casting good guy roles, but
he occasionally plays villainous characters. In nineteen fifty five, Russell
does his first work on television and even gets his
own series, Soldiers of Fortune.
Speaker 5 (11:55):
I'm Tim Kelly, This is Tibo Smith my party.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
He plays Tim Kelly, a war veteran who is now
available for hire. Every week, he and his sidekick are
offer a new adventure in Africa to bet India or
some such exotic location. The series takes advantage of stock
footage from these locations, which helped transport the viewer to
(12:20):
far off lands during its fifty two episodes. In many ways,
Soldiers of Fortune sets the stage for John Russell's more
successful second television series, Lawman, which runs for one hundred
and fifty six episodes. From nineteen fifty eight through nineteen
(12:40):
sixty two.
Speaker 4 (12:42):
I wanted what happened to Sam?
Speaker 3 (12:44):
Well?
Speaker 5 (12:45):
They got hung for horse Team. That's what is your
way to break the habit.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Brussell's Tim Kelly now becomes Marshall Dan Troop of Laramie
Wyoming Troop has the same commanding presence, sense of honor
and duty and courage as Tim Kelly. Russell's sidekick is
now a young and impulsive Deputy Johnny McKay played by
(13:11):
Peter brown.
Speaker 4 (13:12):
Man, starring John Russell as Marshall Dan True and Peter
brown as Deputy Johnny McKay.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
John Russell's two TV series doesn't stop him from appearing
in movies, mostly westerns. He plays typical Old West characters,
a lawman, an outlaw, a gambler. However, in one of them,
Yellowstone Kelly, starring Clint Walker, Russell plays Sue Indian chief Gaul.
Speaker 5 (13:47):
My nephew is young, his heart as bad total all whites.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
Russell continues appearing in movies and on various television shows
throughout the nineteen sixties, seventies, and eighties. It appears with
John Wayne in Rio Bravo, Just What Have I Done?
Speaker 6 (14:04):
You're a rich man, Burdette, big ranch, pay a lot
of people to do what you want him to do.
And you got a brother. He's no good, but he's
your brother. He committed twenty murders. You try and see
didn't hang for him. I don't like that kind of talk.
Are you're practice accusing me of this strait you don't like?
(14:25):
I don't like a lot of things. I don't like
your men sitting on the road bottling up this town.
I don't like your men watching us, trying to catch
us with our backs turned. And I don't like it
when a friend of mine offers to help twenty minutes
later he's dead. And I don't like you, Burdette, because
you set it up.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
And with Clan Eastwood in the Outlaw Josie.
Speaker 5 (14:50):
Wales, name's Anderson, Bloody Bills what they call me. You'll
find them up in Kansas with the Union. We're going
up there and set things up right now.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
I'll be coming. William Honky talk man and pale writer.
Russell's role as Marshall Stockburn and Pale Writer is John
Russell had his intimidating him villainous best.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
Yes Stockburn, Yes, these are my deputies gentlemen say hello
to his Conway.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Well late nineteen eighties, John Russell is suffering from emphysema
and his acting days are over. He dies in nineteen
ninety one from the disease, leaving behind two grown daughters
from his marriage to Renata Titus. He's given the military
burial at Sawtell Veterans Cemetery in West Los Angeles. Despite
(16:06):
his long career in Hollywood, on his tombstone, as per
his wishes, nothing is said about his movie and television stardom. Instead,
engraved on his tombstone is only the Christian Cross, the
dates of his birth and death, the phrase precious Liberty,
(16:29):
and John L. Russell, second Lieutenant, United States Marine Corps
World War Two.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
And a terrific job on the production, editing and storytelling
by our own Greg Hangler, and his special thanks to
Roger McGrath, who is himself a marine, also a former
history professor at UCLA and a frequent contributor on the
History Channel as well as here at our American Stories
of what a story he told about John Russell volunteering
(17:01):
for the Marines and there he lands in Guadalcanal, some
of the toughest fighting on either the Pacific or Atlantic
sides of battle. The European front and the Pacific front
were brutal. But nothing is tough, is what happened to Guadalcanal.
But it changed the Pacific battle forever, and from that
(17:22):
day forward it was the Japanese who were on the defense.
And then out comes Russell to star in some of
the great Westerns of all time, and also lots of
TV shows. But you've seen him in Pale Writer, The Outlaw,
Josie Wells and of course Rio Bravo if you're any
fan of Westerns. And of course that last note on
(17:42):
his tombstone nothing about his Hollywood career, his service to
the US military, and the sign of the Cross and
his name and date of birth. The story of John
Russell here on our American Stories
This is Lee Habibe, and this is Our American Stories,
the show where America is the star and the American
people coming to you from the city where the West begins,
Fort Worth, Texas. And now it's time for another Hollywood
goes to War's Story with Roger McGrath. McGrath is the
author of Gunfighters, Highwaymen and Vigilantes, Violence on the Frontier,
(00:32):
the US Marine, and former history professor at UCLA. McGrath
has appeared on numerous History Channel documentaries and he's a
regular contributor here at Our American Stories, Take it Away, McGrath.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
John Russell had a forty year career in Hollywood, appearing
in fifty movies in more than two hundred episodes of
television shows. It was in a wide variety of movie genres,
but more often than not it was westerns. Standing six
foot three and a half with a square jaw, chiseled features,
and a lean, athletic body, he was a perfect lawman
(01:16):
or a fearsome hired gun Clinistwood used him in the
latter role in Pale Writer.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
I don't know how to dance. It's easy, you just
move your feet to the rhythm.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Despite his decades of fine work in movies. John Russell
is probably best remembered for a starring role as Marshall
Dan Troupe in one hundred and fifty six episodes of Lawman,
which aired on TV from nineteen fifty eight through nineteen
sixty two.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
There's not going to be one kind of law for
decent citizens and another for gunfighters.
Speaker 5 (01:58):
It's going to be one law for all your right
hand when you get angry.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
John Lawrence Russell is born in nineteen twenty one in
Los Angeles to parents John and Amy Russell. The father
is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis.
He survived the sinking of the cruiser San Diego during
World War One. By the time his son is born,
he's a highly successful executive in insurance. The family is
(02:29):
a large home with a cook and a servant. John
Lawrence Russell is the first born. He will soon have
a sister and a brother. John has an ideal childhood,
during well in school and excelling in sports, He grows
into a strapping young man and after graduating from high school,
(02:50):
goes to UCLA for theater arts because he's interested in acting,
and for sports because he's an outstanding half let. Russell's
into his third year at UCLA when the Japanese launch
their sneak attack on Pearl Harbor on December seventh, nineteen
(03:12):
forty one. He drops out of college and joins the
Marine Corps. In February nineteen forty two, he excels in
boot camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego.
Because of his outstanding performance in his two years of college,
he's selected for Officers School. He continues to excel in
(03:32):
OSS and has commissioned a second lieutenant early in October
nineteen forty two. Lieutenant Russell is assigned to the sixth
Marine Regiment, second Marine Division, which surparts for Guadalcanal in
mid October. The Marines have been on Guadalcanal since August seventh,
(03:53):
when the men of the first Marine Division wade ashore
marine landing takes Japanese by surprise. Within days, the fighting
becomes brutal and intense. Japanese pour thousands of fresh soldiers
onto the island until they have thirty six thousand cracked
troops in the fight. At the same time, the US
(04:15):
Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy are slugging it out
in the waters surrounding Guadalcanal, resulting in dozens of ships
going to the bottom and thousands of sailors dying. Among
the sailors who die are the five Sullivan Brothers, whose
sacrifice becomes legendary on land and sea. The battle for
(04:38):
Guadalcanal is a blood path. After a brief stop in
New Zealand, Lieutenant Russell and the sixth Marines mayan the
on Guadalcanal, enjoined the battle early in January nineteen forty three.
The Japanese forces have been greatly depleted, with thousands of
men lost, but they are still fighting fanatically. The sixth
(05:03):
Marines are at first tasked with cleaning the Japanese out
of a series of jungle clad ravines on the northern
coast of Gualcanal, west of the Metanikaw River. Previous efforts
to dislodge the Japanese from these strongholds met with fierce resistance,
so the sixth Marines devise a new tactical plan. Instead
(05:26):
of attacking from the coast and working their way up
the ravines, the sixth Marines climb over ridges and attack
from the high ground, allowing them to fight their way
down the Ravines. Lieutenant Russell is in his first combat
and he quickly learns Japanese do not surrender. The only
(05:46):
way to defeat them is to kill them. He also
learns there is no surrender for Marines. Occasionally Marines are captured,
they suffer unspeakable torture at the hands of the Japanese
before being in the jungle clad Ravines. The fighting this
close quarter, occasionally hand to hand, its vicious, bloody exhausting.
(06:11):
By January seventeenth, the sixth Marines reached the beach at
the mouths of the Ravines Lavanta. Japanese Sendai Division is decimated.
The Marines leave the bodies of six hundred and forty
three dead Japanese in their wake. Only two Japanese are captured.
(06:32):
The next mission for the Dan Russell and the sixth
Marines is an advance along the coast to Cape Esperance,
which the Japanese are using as an evacuation site for
their troops. Resistance is fierce, but day by day the
Marines advanced towards their objective. By February, eighth Army units
(06:53):
from further inland and the sixth Marines along the coast
reach Cape Esperance before nearly two thousand Japanese are evacuated
by the Storiers.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
And you've been listening to Roger McGrath tell the story
of John Russell. And he appeared in countless movies, well
over fifty, but it was his real life experience in
war that was more harrowing than anything he ever did
on the screen. When we come back, the rest of
the story of John Russell, our Hollywood Goes to War
(07:26):
series continues here on our American Stories, Lee Habib here again.
Our American Stories tries to tell the stories of America's
past and present to Americans, and we want to hear
your stories too. There's some of our favorites. Send them
to us. Go to Ouramerican Stories dot com and click
(07:48):
the your stories tab. Again, please go to Alamerican Stories
dot com and click the your Stories tab and we
(08:09):
continue with our American Stories and our Hollywood Goes to
War's story with Roger McGrath, this time featuring the life
of John Russell. Let's pick up in the Pacific Islands
during World War Two. Here's McGrath telling the story of
John Russell.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
This is the end of the battle of Guadalcanal behind them.
The Japanese leave for the nineteen thousand dead disease, taking
perhaps half of them. Another twelve thousand Japanese die in
naval battles offshore, with Japan losing one carrier, two battleships,
four cruisers, eleven destroyers, six submarines, and thirteen transports. Japan
(08:54):
also loses six hundred and eighty airplanes. The guadal Campaign
is a disaster for the Japanese. Japanese Major General Kyle Gucci,
evacuated from Guadalcanal and lying on a cot suffering from malaria,
remarks to a Japanese war correspondent, we lost the battle
(09:16):
and Japan lost the war. The American victory at Guinalcanal
marks a turning point from Guadalcanal on Japan will be
on the defensive. However, the cost of the US victory
is a deer. Five thousand American sailors die and another
three thousand are wounded. The US Navy loses two carriers,
(09:39):
eight cruisers, and fifteen destroyers. The US also loses six
hundred and fifteen airplanes. The Marines lose twelve hundred men
in combat, and the army another six hundred. Another five
thousand marines and soldiers are wounded, but that's not the
whole story. More than marines are knocked out of combat
(10:01):
by malaria. Some men die, and nearly all of those
who contract malaria suffer recurrent bounce of the disease. By
the time the sixth Marines leave Guadalcanal at the end
of February nineteen forty three, Lieutenant John Russell is one
of those suffering terribly from malaria. With many other Marines
(10:24):
from Guadalcanal who have severe cases of malaria, he shipped
to the Naval Hospital at San Diego. He spends months
fighting the disease and can only return to limited duty.
His war is over in June nineteen forty four, he's
discharged from the Marines. Back home in Los Angeles, John
(10:49):
Russell is spotted by a talent scout while dining with
his wife at a POSH restaurant in Beverly Hills. He
soon signs a contract with the Universal Studios, appears in
three movies in nineteen forty five and another three in
nineteen forty six. His roles are minor and all about
one are uncredited. He's in three movies in nineteen forty
(11:13):
seven and forty eight in more substantial roles and is
becoming a well recognized actor. Nineteen forty nine is a
breakout year for Russell. He co stars in three of
the four movies he's in, moving into the upper ranks
of Hollywood. In thirteen movies from nineteen fifty through nineteen
(11:35):
fifty five, he either co stars or has strong supporting roles.
Most of the time he's casting good guy roles, but
he occasionally plays villainous characters. In nineteen fifty five, Russell
does his first work on television and even gets his
own series, Soldiers of Fortune.
Speaker 5 (11:55):
I'm Tim Kelly, This is Tibo Smith my party.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
He plays Tim Kelly, a war veteran who is now
available for hire. Every week, he and his sidekick are
offer a new adventure in Africa to bet India or
some such exotic location. The series takes advantage of stock
footage from these locations, which helped transport the viewer to
(12:20):
far off lands during its fifty two episodes. In many ways,
Soldiers of Fortune sets the stage for John Russell's more
successful second television series, Lawman, which runs for one hundred
and fifty six episodes. From nineteen fifty eight through nineteen
(12:40):
sixty two.
Speaker 4 (12:42):
I wanted what happened to Sam?
Speaker 3 (12:44):
Well?
Speaker 5 (12:45):
They got hung for horse Team. That's what is your
way to break the habit.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Brussell's Tim Kelly now becomes Marshall Dan Troop of Laramie
Wyoming Troop has the same commanding presence, sense of honor
and duty and courage as Tim Kelly. Russell's sidekick is
now a young and impulsive Deputy Johnny McKay played by
(13:11):
Peter brown.
Speaker 4 (13:12):
Man, starring John Russell as Marshall Dan True and Peter
brown as Deputy Johnny McKay.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
John Russell's two TV series doesn't stop him from appearing
in movies, mostly westerns. He plays typical Old West characters,
a lawman, an outlaw, a gambler. However, in one of them,
Yellowstone Kelly, starring Clint Walker, Russell plays Sue Indian chief Gaul.
Speaker 5 (13:47):
My nephew is young, his heart as bad total all whites.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
Russell continues appearing in movies and on various television shows
throughout the nineteen sixties, seventies, and eighties. It appears with
John Wayne in Rio Bravo, Just What Have I Done?
Speaker 6 (14:04):
You're a rich man, Burdette, big ranch, pay a lot
of people to do what you want him to do.
And you got a brother. He's no good, but he's
your brother. He committed twenty murders. You try and see
didn't hang for him. I don't like that kind of talk.
Are you're practice accusing me of this strait you don't like?
(14:25):
I don't like a lot of things. I don't like
your men sitting on the road bottling up this town.
I don't like your men watching us, trying to catch
us with our backs turned. And I don't like it
when a friend of mine offers to help twenty minutes
later he's dead. And I don't like you, Burdette, because
you set it up.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
And with Clan Eastwood in the Outlaw Josie.
Speaker 5 (14:50):
Wales, name's Anderson, Bloody Bills what they call me. You'll
find them up in Kansas with the Union. We're going
up there and set things up right now.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
I'll be coming. William Honky talk man and pale writer.
Russell's role as Marshall Stockburn and Pale Writer is John
Russell had his intimidating him villainous best.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
Yes Stockburn, Yes, these are my deputies gentlemen say hello
to his Conway.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Well late nineteen eighties, John Russell is suffering from emphysema
and his acting days are over. He dies in nineteen
ninety one from the disease, leaving behind two grown daughters
from his marriage to Renata Titus. He's given the military
burial at Sawtell Veterans Cemetery in West Los Angeles. Despite
(16:06):
his long career in Hollywood, on his tombstone, as per
his wishes, nothing is said about his movie and television stardom. Instead,
engraved on his tombstone is only the Christian Cross, the
dates of his birth and death, the phrase precious Liberty,
(16:29):
and John L. Russell, second Lieutenant, United States Marine Corps
World War Two.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
And a terrific job on the production, editing and storytelling
by our own Greg Hangler, and his special thanks to
Roger McGrath, who is himself a marine, also a former
history professor at UCLA and a frequent contributor on the
History Channel as well as here at our American Stories
of what a story he told about John Russell volunteering
(17:01):
for the Marines and there he lands in Guadalcanal, some
of the toughest fighting on either the Pacific or Atlantic
sides of battle. The European front and the Pacific front
were brutal. But nothing is tough, is what happened to Guadalcanal.
But it changed the Pacific battle forever, and from that
(17:22):
day forward it was the Japanese who were on the defense.
And then out comes Russell to star in some of
the great Westerns of all time, and also lots of
TV shows. But you've seen him in Pale Writer, The Outlaw,
Josie Wells and of course Rio Bravo if you're any
fan of Westerns. And of course that last note on
(17:42):
his tombstone nothing about his Hollywood career, his service to
the US military, and the sign of the Cross and
his name and date of birth. The story of John
Russell here on our American Stories
Host
Lee Habeeb
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I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com