>> ending is pretty dang cool.if nothing else you learn a
>> quick history lesson.
>> 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 entireChicago
>> 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 wou ld 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 fi red 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 theCongressional 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.
>> (Pretty cool, huh?)
>
>>
>
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