I am just reminded of my fast vanishing connections to my childhood. Growing up in the 80's I rarely got to watch tv after 8pm on a schol night but during the summer it was a treat to get ot stay up and watch reruns of Johnny and then flip over to channel 13 to watch the old black & whites of Charlie Chan along with the Bob Hope, Bing Crosby movies. Sadly the humor that was present then is long gone and we're left with mostly over the top plays on stereotypes and vulgarity which pass for humor today. Rest well Ed.

Ed McMahon was a WWII Marine fighter pilot towards the end of the war and carried his skills and service into jet aircraft for Korea. He flew many combat missions over North Korea and was low and slow to provide close support with machine-gun and cannon fire for his fellow Marines on the ground. After that conflict he stayed flying with the Marine Corps Reserve and retired as a colonel.

Carson? OK. Pitchman? OK. A clown on TV when I was a little boy? OK. Game show host for bad ratings 50 years ago? OK.

BUT: Fantastic Marine, great American, and beloved veteran who kept laying it on the line for his country through two wars? - Number one A-OK but overlooked a bit I think.

Semper Fi to Ed McMahon from this old Marine.

I never met Ed McMahon but ran into some old Marine pilots at reunions that knew him. They adored him and admired his skills and courage as a pilot.

I say an old episdoe of some news show that featured Ed and John glenn.......pretty cool stuff. I never knew that about Ed. he was basically a hero who genueinely was an everyman type.

Ed McMahon flew wingman for John Glenn over Korea. Another guy there was Ted Williams.

Another old Marine flyer from two wars is Jerry Coleman, former 2nd baseman for the Yankees and longtime baseball announcer.

My favorite Coleman line was, "Taking off from a carrier in a Corsair was easy but landing on one is like pissing on a postage stamp from ten feet while drunk."