A Tulsa Post Office and the US Postal Service honor John Wayne

It's a big day for fans of the "Duke". The US Postal Service released the John Wayne commemorative stamp Friday. <br/><br/>One Tulsa Post Office got more excited about the new stamp than the others.

Friday, September 10th 2004, 10:04 am

By: News On 6

It's a big day for fans of the "Duke". The US Postal Service released the John Wayne commemorative stamp Friday.

One Tulsa Post Office got more excited about the new stamp than the others. News on 6 reporter Rick Wells stopped by to reminisce.

Of course we all remember John Wayne, don't we? War epics like the Sands of Iwo Jima, westerns, he got an Academy Award for True Grit.

The Whittier Post Office on South Lewis put its best John Wayne on this past week or so getting ready for the new John Wayne stamp. A display at the post office was created by letter carrier Larry Larkin.

He has been collecting John Wayne stuff for 45 years. "When I was growing up Channel 6 on Wednesday night had Academy Award Theatre, that's my first memory of John Wayne, watching him on Channel 6." He's a collector but he doesn't do impressions. The new stamp is part of the postal service's Legends of Hollywood series and sales on the first day were pretty good.

Customer: "These will be for my son's collection." Larry Larkin's collection already numbers more than 5,000 pieces, but "Duke" stuff is getting hard to find and expensive. "You're always looking for that deal?"

For you and me, 37 cents and the Duke will help get the bills paid.