Two Stories

STORY NUMBER ONE

Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned
Chicago. Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic. He
was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything
from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder.

Capone had a lawyer nicknamed 'Easy
Eddie.' He was Capone's lawyer for a good reason.
Eddie was very good! In fact, Eddie's skill at legal
manoeuvring kept Big Al out of jail for a long time.

To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very
well. Not only was the money big, but Eddie got special
dividends, as well. For instance, he and his family occupied
a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all of the
conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it
filled an entire Chicago City block.

Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago mob
and gave little consideration to the atrocity that went on
around him.

Eddie did have one soft spot, however. He
had a son that he loved dearly. Eddie saw to it that his
young son had clothes, cars, and a good education. Nothing
was withheld. Price was no object.

And, despite his involvement with organized
crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right from wrong.
Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was.

Yet, with all his wealth and influence,
there were two things he couldn't give his son; he
couldn't pass on a good name or a good example.

One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult
decision. Easy Eddie wanted to rectify wrongs he had done.

He decided he would go to the authorities
and tell the truth about Al 'Scarface' Capone, clean
up his tarnished name, and offer his son some semblance of
integrity. To do this, he would have to testify against The
Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great. So,
he testified.

Within the year, Easy Eddie's life ended
in a blaze of gunfire on a lonely Chicago Street. But
in his eyes, he had given his son the greatest gift he had
to offer, at the greatest price he could ever pay. Police
removed from his pockets a rosary, a crucifix, a religious
medallion, and a poem clipped from a magazine.

The poem read:

'The clock of life is wound but once,
and no man has the power to tell just when the hands will
stop, at late or early hour. Now is the only time you own.
Live, love, toil with a will. Place no faith in time. For
the clock may soon be still.'




STORY NUMBER TWO


World War II produced many heroes. One such
man was Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare.

He was a fighter pilot assigned to the
aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific.


One day his entire squadron was sent on a
mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel
gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his
fuel tank.

He would not have enough fuel to complete
his mission and get back to his ship.

His flight leader told him to return to the
carrier. Reluctantly, he dropped out of formation and headed
back to the fleet.

As he was returning to the mother ship, he
saw something that turned his blood cold; a squadron of
Japanese aircraft was speeding its way toward the American
fleet.

The American fighters were gone on a sortie,
and the fleet was all but defenceless. He couldn't reach
his squadron and bring them back in time to save the fleet.
Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger. There
was only one thing to do. He must somehow divert them from
the fleet.

Laying aside all thoughts of personal
safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes.
Wing-mounted 50 calibre’s blazed as he charged in,
attacking one surprised enemy plane and then another. Butch
wove in and out of the now broken formation and fired at as
many planes as possible until all his ammunition was finally
spent.


Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dove
at the planes, trying to clip a wing or tail in hopes of
damaging as many enemy planes as possible, rendering them
unfit to fly.

Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron
took off in another direction.

Deeply relieved, Butch O'Hare and his
tattered fighter limped back to the carrier.

Upon arrival, he reported in and related the
event surrounding his return. The film from the gun-camera
mounted on his plane told the tale. It showed the extent of
Butch's daring attempt to protect his fleet. He had,
in fact, destroyed five enemy aircraft.
This took place on February 20, 1942, and for that action
Butch became the Navy's first Ace of W.W.II, and the
first Naval Aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honour.

A year later Butch was killed in aerial
combat at the age of 29. His home town would not allow the
memory of this WW II hero to fade, and today, O'Hare
Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of
this great man.

So, the next time you find yourself at
O'Hare International, give some thought to visiting
Butch's memorial displaying his statue and his Medal of
Honour. It's located between Terminals 1 and 2.


SO WHAT DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH
EACH OTHER?


Butch O'Hare was 'Easy Eddie's'
son.