Wednesday, August 10, 2011

What's in a name!


Butch O'Hare


Al Capone   Easy Eddie
Monument at O'Hare Airport
   I have'nt been blogging very long and my blog posts have basically been about my pictures with a small amount of text but when I read this I just had to pass it along. It might be a little long for some of you so if you don't want to read it I understant but it really is a very interesting bit of history trivia that you just might say "WOW" I did'nt know that. It came to me with the "Two Stories BOTH TRUE and worth reading caption but I like to call it "What's In A Name." So, here goes!
STORY NUMBER ONE

   Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago. Capone wasn't  famous for anything heroic. He was for enmeshing the windy city in everything  from bootlegged boozed 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 him 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 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 gun fire 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 curcifix, 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 of time 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 2 produced many heros. One such man was Lieutent Commander Butch O'Hare. He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific.
   One day his entire squardon 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 tank. He would not have enough fuel to complete his  mission and get 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 sorte, and the fleet was all but defensless. 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 than 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 assult. 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 ant 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 Eddies's" son!

Is this not one of the coolest bits of history you have ever read?!

Thanks for taking the time to read this!
Judy K.
  


   

15 comments:

lambs and ivy designs said...

WOW!! I did not see that coming!! That gave me cold chills!
I am so glad you shared that!

Mary C. Nasser said...

WOW! What an amazing connection between two seemingly unrelated stories! Didn't expect that wonderful surprise!

Great meeting you through the Etsy Blog Team!
I am your newest follower! ♥
Looking forward to your upcoming posts!

I welcome you to check out my art blog, too!
Best,
Mary C. Nasser
http://www.marycnasser.com/blog.html

Mary C. Nasser said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mary C. Nasser said...

Also...does your Pepper happen to be a min pin? ♥
I have a min pin mix myself! Her photo is on my blog, too!

~Mary

Sheryl Hastings said...

What great stories and a surprise as well. I find myself at O'Hare Airport every now and then since I tend to fly out of there when I travel. I'll be sure to check out that memorial next time I'm there.

Unknown said...

Hi, I'm your newest follower! Your blog is beautiful! xxx

lambs and ivy designs said...

Thank you for your help! I grabbed your button!

Theresa said...

That is truly amazing!! Luckily, the mobsters just killed Eddie and not his entire family as I have seen in some of the movies. He really did change and saved his son in the process.

chatterfromtexas.blogspot.com
www.notecardsandphotosbytheresa.com

Sarah said...

Very cool bit of history! Thanks for taking the time to share. I found you via EBT and am following you now. :)

ConnieLou said...

Great story! Love a twisty plot...

Isobel Morrell said...

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daydreamsdustbunnies said...

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

Wow...what amazing stories! :) Thanks for sharing.

xo, Samantha
http://theadventuresoftwosams.blogspot.com/

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