Fw: Fwd: Two Great Stories with Brilliant Ending

[Tony Lash]

> YOU NEED TO READ BOTH STORIES > > > 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 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 > 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 would 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, 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 > 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... > >

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