Where Eagles Fly: Chapter 4 Farewell to A.J. Johnson and John Wayne

Where Eagles Fly

Chapter 4

Farewell to A.J. Johnson and John Wayne

Time passes.

The Colorado River continues to flow, and the majestic red rock canyons remain the same. The people, the fans, they come and they go. Bike enthusiasts, hikers, rock climbers, stargazers, they will all find their way to the Canyonlands.  Chances are, they will eventually run into the Trumbo Kid.

They will come to him. It dosen't have to be built. It is already there. The canyons -- stuck in an endless time frame forever. The fans, the onlookers, the men, the women, and the children will come and go quietly satisfied that they had seen, heard, walked, run, and biked through God's greatness.

Jimmy accepted Max's gift with glee. As for A.J., he wasn't just along for the ride. Every ounce of life left in him would go to fulfilling his dream of rolling down the river. Living and existing in such a place was his reward. He was now just a bit more visible.

Together, the 'odd couple' improved their dwellings first with an addition to the main house, with an added state-of-the-art bathroom, a spacious bedroom, along with an office big enough for everthing from John Wayne and Zane Grey paraphernalia to a place for detailed maps, focusing on the area Moab to Green River.

The Double J became a stop-off point on the way to the river, especially for tubers and kayakers. The Double J doubled as a ranch and a Circle K-like atmosphere, but with a comfy cafe to boot -- a cafe with a Maria Lopez there to rule the roost. Her son, Manny, was there too -- a wrangler in the making and the new resident of the bunkhouse-- affectionately referred to as Charlie's Place.

The mine that Jimmy Trumbo inherited? He also inherited the mineral rights. Surprisingly, Max's ancestry dated back a long way, to a great-grandfather who knew which buttons to push and when to do it.

For now, a well-respected real estate firm in Green River climbed aboard. It adhered to Jimmy Trumbo's idea to convert the closed-down mine, now named Trumbo Canyon Mine, into Maria II a Mexican food restaurant and what would become a stopping-off point for tourist on the way to join the Colorado River — the Green River spanning over 700 miles across three states, and the Colorado River over 1,400 miles and spanning seven states.

Closer to home, on the west side of Moab, Trumbo's Outriggers outlet suddenly opened its doors.

In March of '75, the recently turned 27-year-old Jimmy Trumbo stood quietly, among hundreds of mourners, as A.J. Johnson left the Colorado River and Canyonlands for good at the age of 85.

Of course, Jimmy T had spent near quarter of a century searching for the eagles in the vast blue sky above Canyonlands, but finding a partner to help in his neverending search had finally made her presents known in the spring of '72 -- the beautiful, local, born-and-raised in Moab, Rebecca Manley,  a long dark-haired professional photographer.

Jimmy finally popped the question one summer day in '75, and they both joined hands and tied the knot. The story goes that Jimmy was focused, as he should have been, strictly on Rebecca that day, while she was void of her trusty camera hanging over her shoulder. Many in attendance that day said there was a flyby -- a majestic bald eagle flew effortlessly down the Main Street of Moab, en route to a resting place on the top of Balanced Rock.

*****

Rebecca's family -- her parents, John, a retired banker, and her mother, Claire, and her younger sister, Renee, a 24-year-old veterinarian -- enjoyed their years in Moab. Still, to Rebecca's dismay, they moved on: her parents to a retirement villa in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. At the same time, Renee took over a thriving veterinary practice in Rifle, Colorado.

Her family wasn't that far away -- a three-hour drive to Pagosa Springs and a slightly shorter drive through Grand Junction on I-70 to Rifle. Of course, the young 'honeymooners' had very little time for anything but 'work' and both Rebecca and Jimmy did not consider what they did for a living as work.

They considered what they did as a privilege.

The couple was considered the 'Pride of the Canyonlands,' and taking time off was something that never occurred to them anyway. Except for an early fall weekend when the phone rang and it was John Springfield. "Hey, guys. I'm inviting you to a special screening of John Wayne's new film, 'The Shootist.'

'He's done it again. This might be his best yet!'

'Do we need to fly to LA?'

'No, it's going to be in Salt Lake City on Saturday.'

'Wow! ' said Jimmy. You know what a fan I am.'

'Jimmy, everybody knows what a fan you are. And, Rebecca, I heard you're a history buff of the silver screen. Well, Lauren Becall is the female lead.'

'How wonderful. We'll be there.'

'John, we will drive up. I have a meeting on Thursday night in Green River.'

'Great, guys. See you then. I'll send you the particulars. Your tickets will be at the will-call window. Looking forward to seeing you two.'

*****

The theatre was packed with special invitees. John had warned Rebecca and Jimmy ahead of time that John Wayne and Lauren Bacall would not be among the guests. The two stars had other commitments for the weekend, but John had said Richard Boone and Scatman Crothers were expected to attend, along with one of the youngest cast members, Ron Howard. 

The invitees for the special showing took their seats, and after a few introductions, The Shootist. 

Jimmy took it all in. It was as if he were back in the bunkhouse in '67. He had just put a log on the fire and was settled in and ready to read Riders of the Purple Sage.

Wayne was at his very best, and the streetcar scene near the end symbolized the end of an era. Every movie The Duke had ever made crossed Jimmy's mind. At times, he wasn't sure if he was engrossed in a scene of Wayne portraying his last hours of make-believe, or forging on horseback in True Grit, or saving Natalie Wood in The Searchers.

Rebecca constantly held Jimmy's hand. She looked at him and smiled. She didn't need a camera to document the moment. She knew exactly what her husband was thinking as each scene of The Shootist drew closer to the end, culminating with J.B. Books' final gun battle with the bad guys: actors Bill McKinney, Hugh O'Brian, and Richard Boone. 

Rebecca knew her husband was not only seeing Bacall perform, but also beautiful images of Wayne's female costars rolling through his mind, including the likes of Maureen O'Hara, Angie Dickinson, and Anne-Margaret.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance lives on not only in Jimmy's mind, but also in millions of Wayne's fans. The ending train ride scene with Vera Miles and James Stewart...the final words: "Nothing's too good for the man who shot Liberty Valance."

Jimmy's mind was racing past Monument Valley to the South Pacific and back home to Canyonlands where his eagles fly.

The credits on the screen were rolling. Rebecca and Jimmy smiled at each other. Suddenly, Jimmy's desire to be home came over him. He kissed Rebecca and said, 'Let's go home.'

The duo, The Pride of Canyonlands, let their work in Moab engulf them.

The Shootist was released in 1976 and received five Oscar nominations. Wayne's only Best Actor Award came in 1970 for True Grit. In 1979, John Wayne passed away.

Chapter 5 awaits...Where Eagles Fly -- 'Rebecca! Rebecca! Where did you come from?'

       

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