TWO STORIES

[Guest]

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 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, 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.

"God does not design that we shall take no pleasure in the things of His creation. . . . He watches with a Father's joy the delight of His children in the beautiful things around them"({Ellen White:TMK 144.2}.

[Dottie]

That sounds like one of Paul Harvey's stories.

[phkrause]

That was awesome Richard, thanks for that post.

pk

[bonnie]

That was awesome Richard, thanks for that post.

pk

As a young man my dad repaired the car of Al Capone. He was the most recent and youngest hire in the repair shop.Everyone was a little afraid of Al Capone.My dad didn't know who he was so didn't think twice about doing the work.

Only after he was done and received a 100.00 tip because the car sounded so good and the repairs were done so quick did my dad find out who he was.

Not sure if what they told my dad was true or hype but he was told he was lucky Al Capone was happy. If he wasn't my dad wouldn't have been either.

But as kids we thought it was pretty cool

[Guest]

My people come from Wilkes County, North Carolina, which is where Al Capone got most, if not all of his moonshine from. My dad ran some liquor when he was real young, but didn't make a career out of it like some. They used to run the liquor in fast cars. That's how nascar got started.

I'm not a fan of nascar, but I used to be a BIG fan of moonshine. They still make it up there.

[phkrause]

Originally Posted By: pkrause

That was awesome Richard, thanks for that post.

pk

As a young man my dad repaired the car of Al Capone. He was the most recent and youngest hire in the repair shop.Everyone was a little afraid of Al Capone.My dad didn't know who he was so didn't think twice about doing the work.

Only after he was done and received a 100.00 tip because the car sounded so good and the repairs were done so quick did my dad find out who he was.

Not sure if what they told my dad was true or hype but he was told he was lucky Al Capone was happy. If he wasn't my dad wouldn't have been either.

But as kids we thought it was pretty cool

I can imagine, when living in NY and going to HS, I had a friend that ask me if I wanted to work for the Sanitation Department, which at that time was run by the mafia, I turned him down. So I was close to working for them. Not sure if the profit sharing would've been that great though.

pk

[bobet_mc]

Nice story.More story please.Have a great night!

[Guest]

Thank you. You have a good night too Bobet. I see this is your first post here. I hope you like it here.

I will have to find another good story.

[Guest]

Actually I told bobet about this place. For some reason I thought she had posted at least once already.

[phkrause]

DOTTIE

Your story about your dad and AL COPONE was also good

dgrimm60

That was Bonnie dgrimm! LOL

pk

[Guest]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA HEHEHEHEHEHEHE HOHOHOHOHOHOHO

[GreatLakesGramma]

It would have been nice if you had checked out the story before you posted it. There was never any evidence that Eddie O'Hare turned informant for any other reason than to keep himself out of prison. There is no record of him ever having a change of heart.

Empire of the Son

[Guest]

It would have been nice if you had checked out the story before you posted it.

But I didn't, so I must be a mean mean man.

[GreatLakesGramma]

If you say so.