• Ensign John William Carson

    From a425couple@21:1/5 to All on Sat Jan 29 09:15:40 2022
    XPost: alt.war.vietnam

    SIERRA HOTEL AERONAUTICS
    J53anuar0y 24 a92t8 0s8o:11 AcreM ·

    An introverted quiet and shy young man named John William Carson joined
    the United States Navy on June 8th, 1943, and received V-12 Navy College Training Program officer training. Commissioned an ensign late in the
    war, J. W. Carson was assigned to the USS Pennsylvania in the Pacific.
    While in the Navy, Carson posted a 10–0 amateur boxing record on board
    the Pennsylvania, and was en route to the combat zone when the war had
    ended. J.W. Carson served as a communications officer in charge of
    decoding encrypted messages. According to Carson, the high point of his military career was a chance meeting with United States Secretary of the
    Navy James V. Forrestal. During the conversation with Forrestal, the
    Secretary asked Carson if he planned to stay in the Navy after the war.
    In response, Carson said no, that he truly wanted to try and become a
    magician. Secretary Forrestal asked him to show him a trick or two, and
    Carson obliged. It was at that moment that Carson discovered his
    ability to entertain, and that if he could amuse someone as cranky and sophisticated as Forrestal, then perhaps becoming an entertainer was his
    true calling.
    It certainly was, and Ensign John William Carson went on to become a
    successful Hollywood comedian, writer, and producer, although he is best
    known as the host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson where he
    proudly entertained us from behind his desk every night for over 30 years. Johnny was a good friend to Carl Sagan, as well as an amateur
    astronomer. Most are not aware that the minor planet 1981 EM4 was named
    in his honor, 3252 Johnny, and is probably the star that Johnny was most
    proud of...
    www.Sierrahotel.net

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