John Katsilometes relates a war story from a decorated WWII vet known to most of us as a venerable comedian

Thursday, April 19, 2007 | 6:57 a.m.

Long before he grew his mane wild, Marty Allen sported a crew cut. And long before he told jokes, he helped prevent a war tragedy.

Not widely known is that the recent Gold Coast headliner, who just started a series of dates with his wife, Karon Kate Blackwell, is a decorated veteran of World War II. Allen, still punching away at age 85, possesses a Soldier's Medal for bravery for helping stop a fire that threatened a B-24 heavily loaded with bombs. The incident occurred in 1944, when Allen was stationed with the 15th Air Force in Foggia, Italy. He was a member of the ground crew loading a B-24 for a bombing raid on the Romanian oil fields of Ploietsi, a 1943-44 campaign that crimped Adolf Hitler's last supply of oil in the region.

As a fuel truck backed toward the plane, sparks flew from a small motor used as a gas pump at the rear of the vehicle. Two men holding the fuel hose fled as the truck caught fire and threatened to turn the plane into a giant explosive. But our man Marty did not cower, leaping into the truck and driving it a safe distance from the B-24. Then he rushed to the plane and put out a small fire threatening the payload (Allen's memory of just how he put the fire out is somewhat dim, but he surmises that he used his jacket).

An Air Force investigation of the matter concluded that Allen's actions probably prevented a horrific incident and he received the Soldier's Medal, the military's highest honor for noncombat heroism.

But Allen says the real danger awaited him in his hometown of Pittsburgh.

"My mother told me, 'I didn't send you to the war to do that!' " Allen said Wednesday afternoon. "The thought of her mad at me was more frightening than anything I saw in Italy."

NoteMart

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