Major John L. Smith, skipper of VMF-223, America’s Ace of Aces in 1942, and one of the greatest Marine leaders of his era. Relentless, aggressive, fiercely loyal to his men, he is seen here in October 1942, just after arriving on Oahu from Guadalcanal. He was a man haunted by the deaths of the young pilots under his command, desperately uncomfortable with the media spotlight shining his way. A decade later, when Hollywood told John L’s story, John Wayne played the great Marine ace, turning him into a ruthless taskmaster whose men resented him.
In reality, the men of VMF-223 loved their skipper. He was demanding, emotional, prone to outbursts of anger, but so clearly loved & looked after his green 2nd Lts that they followed him into every fight for fifty-three of the toughest days any Marine squadron has endured.
The movie, which came out in 1951, is worth a watch. It contains considerable actual combat footage and gun camera clips, some of which no longer exists at NARA.
For more on John L and his squadron, take a look here: https://amazon.com/Fifty-Three-Days-Starvation-Island-Aviation/dp/0316508659/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3D3SVSMJ4LVBP&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.lGQgOoEp8lTHMIcaGBepVg.cGYX2ueZF_lTpJ4r6MZq-zCJhC-aqlZvANWGsLbLdyw&dib_tag=se&keywords=fifty+three+days+on+starvation+island&qid=1717457373&sprefix=fifty+t%2Caps%2C186&sr=8-1
The American Warrior 
Too bad Wayne didn’t have more of Major Smith’s courage.