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The Wright Perspective℠
Social Commentary from the C-Suite to Main Street℠
A Blog by Gary Wright II
MDA & A Tribute to Ed McMahon
Sunday, September 6th, 2009
The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) telethon is kicking off soon - please donate if you can!
The telethon is just not going to be the same without Ed McMahon standing by Jerry's side...
Here is a tribute:
MDA.org/edmcmahon
The news of Ed's death got lost in all of the craziness surrounding Michael Jackson's death.
Spirit Chaser Tammy posted this on her blog:
We lost a TRUE AMERICAN HERO AND ENTERTAINER earlier that week. Do you know who that was? It was Ed McMahon. He not only served His Country in one war, but in two! He flew missions in WWII and in the Korean War, as well as trained men in Korea. How much news coverage did this man get? One day's worth. Nevermind that he started entertaining people when he was 15 and was Johnny's wonderful straight man for 30 years. He was at Jerry Lewis's side as co-host for the MD Telethons.
Taken from the Wikipedia site:
"Ed McMahon wanted to become a US Marine Corps fighter pilot. Prior to the US entry into World War II, the Army and Navy required 2 years of college for entry into it's pilots program. Ed McMahon enrolled into classes at Boston College. After Pearl Harbor was attacked, the military dropped the college requirement for pilot training, so McMahon dropped out of school and applied to the Marines. His primary flight training was in Dallas and was followed up by fighter training in Pensacola where he received his carrier landing qualifications. He spent the next 2 years as a flight instructor training other Marine pilots. Ed McMahon finally received orders to the Pacific fleet in 1945, but those orders were cancelled after the Atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki ending the war.
As an Officer in the reserves, McMahon was recalled to Active Duty during the Korean War. This time, he flew the Cessna O-1E Bird Dog, a single engine unarmed plane. He functioned as an artillery spotter for the Marine Batteries on the ground and as a forward controller for the Navy and Marine Fighter/Bombers. He flew a total of 85 combat missions, earning a number of Navy Air Medals. After the war, he stayed with the Marines as a reserve Officer , retiring in 1966 as a Colonel."
Ed - I will always hear your laughter!
We will miss you!!!
-- Gary Wright II