catsrule
Mary Jo
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2001
- Messages
- 15,649
> STORY NUMBER ONE:
> 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 bombers were speeding their 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 weaved in and out
of
> the
> now broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until
> finally
> all his ammunition was spent. Undaunted, he continued the assault.
He
> dove at
> the planes, trying to at least clip off a wing or tail, in hopes of
> damaging
> as many enemy planes as possible and rendering them unfit to fly. He
> was
> desperate to do anything he could to keep them from reaching the
> American
> ships.
>
> 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 camera mounted on his plane told the tale.
> It
> showed the extent of Butch's daring attempt to protect his fleet. He
> had
> destroyed five enemy bombers. That was on February 20, 1942, and for
> that
> action he 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 he was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29. His
home
> town
> would not allow the memory of that heroic action die. And today,
> O'Hare
> Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great
> man. So
> the next time you're in O'Hare visit his memorial with his statue
and
> Medal
> of Honor. It is located between Terminal 1 and 2.
>
>
> STORY NUMBER TWO:
> Some years earlier there was a man in Chicago called Easy Eddie. At
> that
> time, Al Capone virtually owned the city.
> Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic. His exploits were anything
> but
> praise-worthy. He was, however, notorious for enmeshing the city of
> Chicago
> in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder. Easy
> Eddie
> was Capone's lawyer and for a good reason. He was very good!
>
> In fact, his 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; 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.
> Yes, Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago mob and gave little
> consideration to the atrocity that went on around him.
>
> Eddy did have one soft spot, however. He had a son that he loved
> dearly. Eddy
> saw to it that his young son had the best of
> everything; 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.
>
> Yes, Eddie tried to teach his son to rise above his own sordid life.
> He
> wanted him to be a better man than he was. Yet, with all his wealth
> and
> influence, there were two things that Eddie couldn't give his son.
Two
> things
> that Eddie sacrificed to the Capone mob that he could not pass on to
> his
> beloved son: a good name and a good example.
>
> One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision. Offering his son a
> good
> name was far more important than all the riches he could lavish on
> him. He
> had to rectify all the wrong that he had done. He would go to the
> authorities
> and tell the truth about "Scar-face" Al Capone. He would try to
clean
> up his
> tarnished name and offer his son some semblance of integrity. To do
> this he
> must testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be
> great. But
> more than anything, he wanted to be an example to his son. He wanted
> to do
> his best to make restoration and hopefully have a good name to leave
> his son.
> So, he testified. Within the year, Easy Eddie's life ended in a
blaze
> of
> gunfire on a lonely Chicago street. He had given his son the
greatest
> gift he
> had to offer at the greatest price he would ever pay.
>
> What do these two stories have to do with one another?
> Butch O'Hare was Easy Eddie's son.
> 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 bombers were speeding their 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 weaved in and out
of
> the
> now broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until
> finally
> all his ammunition was spent. Undaunted, he continued the assault.
He
> dove at
> the planes, trying to at least clip off a wing or tail, in hopes of
> damaging
> as many enemy planes as possible and rendering them unfit to fly. He
> was
> desperate to do anything he could to keep them from reaching the
> American
> ships.
>
> 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 camera mounted on his plane told the tale.
> It
> showed the extent of Butch's daring attempt to protect his fleet. He
> had
> destroyed five enemy bombers. That was on February 20, 1942, and for
> that
> action he 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 he was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29. His
home
> town
> would not allow the memory of that heroic action die. And today,
> O'Hare
> Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great
> man. So
> the next time you're in O'Hare visit his memorial with his statue
and
> Medal
> of Honor. It is located between Terminal 1 and 2.
>
>
> STORY NUMBER TWO:
> Some years earlier there was a man in Chicago called Easy Eddie. At
> that
> time, Al Capone virtually owned the city.
> Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic. His exploits were anything
> but
> praise-worthy. He was, however, notorious for enmeshing the city of
> Chicago
> in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder. Easy
> Eddie
> was Capone's lawyer and for a good reason. He was very good!
>
> In fact, his 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; 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.
> Yes, Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago mob and gave little
> consideration to the atrocity that went on around him.
>
> Eddy did have one soft spot, however. He had a son that he loved
> dearly. Eddy
> saw to it that his young son had the best of
> everything; 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.
>
> Yes, Eddie tried to teach his son to rise above his own sordid life.
> He
> wanted him to be a better man than he was. Yet, with all his wealth
> and
> influence, there were two things that Eddie couldn't give his son.
Two
> things
> that Eddie sacrificed to the Capone mob that he could not pass on to
> his
> beloved son: a good name and a good example.
>
> One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision. Offering his son a
> good
> name was far more important than all the riches he could lavish on
> him. He
> had to rectify all the wrong that he had done. He would go to the
> authorities
> and tell the truth about "Scar-face" Al Capone. He would try to
clean
> up his
> tarnished name and offer his son some semblance of integrity. To do
> this he
> must testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be
> great. But
> more than anything, he wanted to be an example to his son. He wanted
> to do
> his best to make restoration and hopefully have a good name to leave
> his son.
> So, he testified. Within the year, Easy Eddie's life ended in a
blaze
> of
> gunfire on a lonely Chicago street. He had given his son the
greatest
> gift he
> had to offer at the greatest price he would ever pay.
>
> What do these two stories have to do with one another?
> Butch O'Hare was Easy Eddie's son.
