Two Stories - LONG

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  • gordons
    Established Member
    • Aug 2003
    • 192
    • Charlotte, NC, USA.
    • Ryobi BT3100

    Two Stories - LONG

    You may have read this somewhere before, but it bears repeating:


    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 boot-legged 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 also, Eddie got
    special dividends.

    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 the 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 defenseless. 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 and 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 Honor.

    A year later Butch was killed in aerial comb at 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 Honor.
    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.
    Gordon
    I'd rather be a hammer than a nail
  • cgallery
    Veteran Member
    • Sep 2004
    • 4503
    • Milwaukee, WI
    • BT3K

    #2
    Yep, that's a good one!

    Comment

    • docrowan
      Senior Member
      • Mar 2007
      • 893
      • New Albany, MS
      • BT3100

      #3
      I just flew through O'Hare this month. It was interesting to me to learn that it is the largest airport in the world, as measured in passenger volume. Not the US, the world.

      I guess I assumed that since the US is so large and our population is fairly spread out, a more densely populated country such as Japan would have a larger airport.
      - Chris.

      Comment

      • BobSch
        • Aug 2004
        • 4385
        • Minneapolis, MN, USA.
        • BT3100

        #4
        Now for another quiz. Why is O'Hare International's designator ORD?
        Last edited by BobSch; 05-28-2008, 07:42 AM.
        Bob

        Bad decisions make good stories.

        Comment

        • JeffG78
          Established Member
          • Jan 2007
          • 385
          • Northville, Michigan - a Detroit suburb
          • BT3100

          #5
          Originally posted by docrowan
          I just flew through O'Hare this month. It was interesting to me to learn that it is the largest airport in the world, as measured in passenger volume. Not the US, the world.

          I guess I assumed that since the US is so large and our population is fairly spread out, a more densely populated country such as Japan would have a larger airport.
          O'Hare WAS the largest. That honor now goes to Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

          Comment

          • crokett
            The Full Monte
            • Jan 2003
            • 10627
            • Mebane, NC, USA.
            • Ryobi BT3000

            #6
            Snopes says partially true - Eddie was real as was his son and the airport is named after the son. However his son died in the war. Also, Eddie turned state's evidence to save his own skin, not because of a change of heart.

            Good stories though.
            David

            The chief cause of failure in this life is giving up what you want most for what you want at the moment.

            Comment

            • TCAS
              Forum Newbie
              • Feb 2006
              • 27

              #7
              Originally posted by BobSch
              Now for another quiz. Why is O'Hare International's designator ORD?
              The town of Orchard Place, IL had an airport called Douglas Field. The "OR" came from Orchard and the "D" from Douglas Field... ORD

              Comment

              • BobSch
                • Aug 2004
                • 4385
                • Minneapolis, MN, USA.
                • BT3100

                #8
                Originally posted by TCAS
                The town of Orchard Place, IL had an airport called Douglas Field. The "OR" came from Orchard and the "D" from Douglas Field... ORD
                And we have a winnah! I'd heard the Douglas came from the Douglas aircraft company.
                Bob

                Bad decisions make good stories.

                Comment

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