From Wikipedia:
Military service
During
World War II, McMahon was a fighter pilot in the
United States Marine Corps serving as a flight instructor and test pilot. He was a decorated pilot (six
Air Medals) and was discharged in 1946, remaining in the reserves.
[5]
After college, McMahon returned to active duty. He met his first girlfriend, Jenifer P Smith, on his first tour. He claims that she was the one to motivate him to become a better person. He was sent to
Korea in February 1952. He flew unarmed
OE-1 Bird Dogs on 85 tactical air control and artillery spotting missions. He remained in the Marine Corps Reserve, retiring with the rank of
Colonel in 1966 and was then commissioned as a
Brigadier General in the
California Air National Guard.
Several of his ancestors, including the
Marquis d'Equilly, also had long and distinguished military careers.
Patrice MacMahon, duc de Magenta was a Marshal of armies in
France, serving under
Napoleon III, and later President. McMahon once asserted to Johnny Carson that
mayonnaise was originally named
MacMahonnaise in honor of this ancestor, referring to him as the Comte de MacMahon.
[6] In his autobiography, McMahon said that it was his father who told him of this relationship and he went on to suggest that he was not certain of the truth of the story.
[7]