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Ed McMahon died today at 86. News outlets from all over carried the story of his life and death. The New York Times was typical. "Ed McMahon, Top Second Banana, Dies" read the headline. The picture was of Ed with Johnny Carson on the set of Johnny's show. The lead read like this.

"Ed McMahon, who for nearly 30 years was Johnny Carson’s affable second banana on “The Tonight Show,” introducing it with his ringing trademark line, “Heeeeere’s Johnny!,” died early Tuesday in Los Angeles. He was 86."

Guess what? There was more to the man than being Johnny Carson's sidekick. For one thing, Ed McMahon was one of the greatest pitchmen ever.

Back in 1949 "Eddie" McMahon, so named to distinguish him from his father, was the best of the boardwalk pitchmen. He sold apple slicers and potato dicers and a dozen other things on the old Atlantic City Boardwalk.

It was a grand time. The best of America's pitchmen sold magical devices to people who loved the show as much as the thing they carried home. Ron Popeil was there. So was Charles Revson. But Eddie McMahon was the best of them all.

When he was working on the boardwalk, Eddie could make $500 a week. When he went out on the circuit to country fairs across the Midwest, he could double that. In 2009 dollars, he was pulling down around $10,000 a week

He gave that up to follow his dream. He took a job hosting a variety show on television in Philadelphia for $75 a week. He thought it was fun. "It was wide, wide open. No one knew how to do television, so we could do anything we wanted."

It looked like his big break was about to happen, but fate stepped in. The Korean War fired up and reservists like Ed McMahon went back on active duty.

McMahon had been trained as a fighter pilot during World War II. You'll see that "fighter pilot" credential in many of his bios. But the truth is even more impressive.

In Korea, Ed McMahon didn't fly the sexy new F9F jet fighters that people like John Glenn and Ted Williams were flying. Instead he flew a Cessna OE Bird Dog.

It was one of the gutsiest assignments a pilot can have. He was an artillery spotter. If you're not a vet, let me give you an idea of what that means.

You're flying low and slow over hostile territory in a plane with no armor. You're within rifle range of people who want to do you harm. While you do that you're concentrating on where to direct artillery fire and giving the artillery batteries map coordinates and fire directions. It's not easy and it's not safe.

Ed McMahon flew 85 artillery spotting missions in Korea. In 1953, he came home and went back to TV. In 1958 he was hired as the announcer for Johnny Carson on his show, "Who do You Trust?" In 1962, he moved with Carson to the Tonight Show.

You can remember Ed McMahon only in that last role if you choose. But, as with most lives, there was more.

I want to remember the complex and fascinating Ed McMahon. That was Eddie McMahon the boardwalk pitchman. That was the young man that followed his dream into TV. And that was the man who flew those low, slow, dangerous missions in Korea.

Wally's Working Supervisor's Support Kit is a collection of information and tools to help working supervisors do a better job. It's based on what Wally's learned in over twenty years of supervisory skills training. Click here to check it out.