I've never been able to get figure the straight scoop in him. Most accounts say his handlers/agents/whatever they are kept him out, at least at first. Then later it was because of an injury and later yet because of his age and family. I dunno. It's reported John Ford (miserable prick of a human being, but the man could direct a western!) treated Wayne like dog crap compared to Robert Montgomery because Montgomery actually served. Maybe stuff like that did happen, Gene Autry went and he was huge at the time. Clark Gable went and he was lots older than Wayne. There are a couple accounts that say he wasn't in any hurry to join up. Who knows? I wasn't there, that's for sure. But the list of those that did serve, even in limited roles, is long and covers a whole mess of well known people. Different times, eh?