Wonder where O'Hare got it's name?

Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago. He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder.

Capone had a lawyer nicknamed "Easy Eddie." 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. Besides a large salary, he and his family occupied an estate so large that it filled an entire block. Eddie lived the high life and gave little consideration to the atrocities that were going on around him.

Eddie did have one soft spot, a son that he loved dearly. He saw to it that his young son had the best of everything. And, despite his involvement with organized crime, he even tried to teach him right from wrong. Even with all his wealth and influence, there were two things he couldn't give his son, a good name and a good example.

One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision. He decided to tell the truth about 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 the cost would be great. 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, and paid the ultimate price. Police removed from his pockets several items including a religious medallion and a poem clipped from a magazine that read: "The clock of life is wound but once and no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop. 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."

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. 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 defenseless American fleet. He couldn't reach his squadron and bring them back in time, nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger.

Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes. Wing-mounted 50 calibers blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane after another. Even after his ammunition was finally spent, he continued to dive at the planes, trying to clip a wing or tail in hopes of damaging as many as possible.

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 events surrounding his return. The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane showed the extent of Butch's daring attempt to protect his fleet. He had in fact destroyed five enemy aircraft.

The date was February 20, 1942, and for his brave actions 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.

This is Rex Barker C.S. (Consistently Striving for integrity) saying you might be wondering how these two stories are related. Butch O'Hare was Easy Eddie's son.

credit: Joke-of-the Day