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.
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.
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