Subject: Two Stories

Two Great 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 his 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 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 were speeding their way
toward the American fleet. The American fighters were gone on a sorti e,
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 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 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.