They Were Expendable
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They Were Expendable is a 1945 American war film directed by John Ford, starring Robert Montgomery and John Wayne, and featuring Donna Reed. The film is based on the 1942 novel of the same name by Wil
Theatrical release insert poster
PT boats at speed
John D. Bulkeley
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John Duncan Bulkeley was a vice admiral in the United States Navy and was one of its most decorated officers. Bulkeley received the Medal of Honor for actions in the Pacific Theater during World War I
They Were Expendable
…actual events and people. The characters John Brickley (Montgomery) and Rusty Ryan (Wayne) are fictionalizations of PT-Boat Squadron Three Commander John D. Bulkeley, a Medal of Honor recipient, and his executive officer Robert Kelly, respectively. Both the film and the book, which was a best-seller and excerpted…
Vice Admiral John D. Bulkeley
Bulkeley as a lieutenant in the Navy
WWII poster with quote from John D. Bulkeley
Lieutenant Commander Bulkeley being awarded the Medal of Honor by President Franklin D. Roosevelt