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Ward Bond's ulcer was almost as famous as he was
The condition was a point of pride among actors.
As Wagonmaster, there were few that Ward Bond had to compete with for the spotlight. But as an actor with many career highlights, there was one thing that got his famous friends congratulations more than any role he'd ever played: An ulcer.
According to the Ventura County Star, Bond after being ulcer-free for a number of decades, Bond found himself stricken with one after beginning his career in television.
Bond stated, "See what happens, I'm in the movies for 30 years with no worries. I've been in television for seven months now and I've got an ulcer."
While a medical diagnosis like this can be unfortunate, when Bond's friends and former costars heard about it, they treated it as a badge of honor for the actor.
John Wayne and John Ford, both friends with Bond took the time and energy to send him a quick congratulations cable. Apparently, the message read "Congratulations. We knew you had it in you. Glad to hear you finally made it."
The stress of television was a worthwhile price to pay for Bond, who played Seth Adams in the series Wagon Train.
Bond likened appearing on the series to having "a tiger by the tail," but acknowledged that he got joy from playing the role, as well as crediting it as being formative in his career. Bond said, "Yes sir, Wagonmaster Seth Adams has sorta changed my life."
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