Worth the read. O'Hare Airport

[Jabiru Phil]

Next time you fly into O’hare Airport.

 

Two Stories BOTH TRUE - and worth reading.

 

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

 

maneuvering 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 reads:

 

"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 caliber'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 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.

 

Hope you liked it.

 

Phil.

 

 

[cooperplace]

Next time you fly into O’hare Airport.Two Stories BOTH TRUE - and worth reading.

 

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

 

maneuvering 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 reads:

 

"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 caliber'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 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.

 

Hope you liked it.

 

Phil.

thanks for that amazing story.