[Rhodes22-list] Aviation History

[elle]

Gave me chills. Only man has the capacity for
notoriety or honor ...Thanks for the story.

elle


--- Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> This story is making the rounds on the net once
> again.  The first story has
> been embellished a bit - "Easy Eddy" turned state's
> evidence to save his
> arse, not because of some sudden urge to "come
> clean". BTW, do you know who
> finally got Capone?  It was the IRS and they threw
> him in the slammer here
> in Memphis. The second part of the story 100% true. 
> Brad
> 
> -----------------------------------------
> 
> 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 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 TheMob,
> 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 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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We can't change the angle of the wind....but we can adjust our sails.

 1992 Rhodes 22   Recyc '06  "WaterMusic"   (Lady in Red)


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