A Truly Fascinating Story For All Business Travelers Who Fly In To or Out Of Chicago's O'Hare Airport

Many years ago, Al Capone, the notorious Chicago gangster, was involved in everything from booze to prostitution to murder.  Capone had a personal lawyer nicknamed "Easy Eddie" and Eddie's skill at legal maneuvering was the primary reason Big Al was kept out of jail for so many years.

Capone paid Eddie well and Eddie sure did live the high life.  He and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion that filled an entire Chicago city block.  Though involved deeply with the mob, Eddie had one soft spot - that was his son whom he loved dearly.  Eddie saw to it that his young son "Little Eddie" had the finest clothes, toys, cars and a great good education.  Despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie tried his best to teach Little Eddie right from wrong.  Eddie wanted his son to grow up to be a good man.

As the years went bye, Eddie decided to rectify the wrongs he had done and went to the authorities to tell the truth about Al Capone so he could clean up his tarnished name and offer his son some semblance of integrity.  Eddie knew the cost for testifying against the mob would be great ... and he was right.  Within less then a year, Easy Eddie's life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a lonely Chicago side street.  But in his eyes, Eddie gave his son a great gift.  

Now here is an unrelated --- but necessary parallel to the above story ---- please read I promise you won't be disappointed.   

World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Navy Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare, a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific.  One day Butch's squadron was sent on a mission.  After he was airborne, Butch looked at his fuel gauge and realized the ground crew did not top off his fuel tank.  Butch knew he would not have enough fuel to complete the assigned mission and notified his flight leader who ordered Butch to return to the carrier. Reluctantly, Butch dropped out of formation and headed back towards the fleet.

On returning to the fleet, Butch noticed a squadron of Japanese aircraft off in the distance heading toward the fleet.  Since all the fleet’s fighters were out on their missions, the fleet was now virtually defenseless. Though Butch tried to raise his squadron leader on the radio to bring the planes back in time to save the fleet he couldn't. 

There was only one thing for Butch do … and that was he had to try and stop the Japanese planes from attacking the fleet by himself. Without hesitation or regard for his personal safety, Butch dove into the formation of enemy aircraft with his wing-mounted 50 caliber's guns ablaze.  He attacked one surprised Japanese aircraft after another.  Butch wove in and out of the now broken formation and fired shot down as many planes as possible until all his ammunition was finally spent.

Even though his ammo was gone, Butch continued his assault on the Japanese planes by diving at them, trying to clip a wing or hit their vertical tails in hopes of damaging them and rendering them unfit to fly. Totally exasperated, all the remaining Japanese aircraft headed home without even conducting their mission. Tragically Butch ran out of fuel and he and his plane perished in the ocean.

When news of Butch’s heroic efforts reached his home town the towns people unanimously vowed never to allow the memory of this WWII hero to fade from their memory.  So they decided to name their city airport in honor of him.  That's right the City of Chicago decided to pay tribute to its most courageous native son of WWII.

So for all you travelers who happen to fly in or out of Chicago's "O'Hare Airport" here is my personal recommendation:  The next time you find yourself waiting for a flight at O'Hare Airport, give some serious thought to visiting Butch’s memorial - it's located between Terminals 1 and 2. Take a moment and good look at both his statue and his Medal of Honor.  

NOW YOU MAY BE ASKING --- GABE WHAT THE HELL DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE IN COMMON? 

Butch the Medal of Honor winner is Edward O'Hare Jr. - the son of  "Easy Eddie".

Easy Eddie

Many years ago, Al Capone, the notorious criminal, was involved in everything from booze to prostitution to murder.  Al had a personal lawyer nicknamed "Easy Eddie" and Eddie's skill at legal maneuvering was the primary reason Big Al was kept out of jail for so many years.

Capone paid Eddie well and Eddie lived the high life.  He and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion that filled an entire Chicago city block.  Though involved deeply with the mob, Eddie had one soft spot, his son whom he loved dearly.  Eddie saw to it that his young son had clothes, cars, and a good education and despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie tried his best to teach his son right from wrong.  Eddie wanted his son to grow up to be a good man.

One day, Eddie decided to rectify wrongs he had done and went to the authorities to tell the truth about Al Capone so he could clean up his tarnished name and offer his son some semblance of integrity.  Eddie knew the cost for testifying against the mob would be great ... and he was right.  Within a year, Easy Eddie's life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a lonely Chicago side street.  But in his eyes, Eddie gave his son a great gift.  When the police emptied his pockets, they found a rosary and a poem Eddie had 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.  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." 

Now an unrelated --- but necessary parallel to the above story ---- please read you won't be disappointed.   

 
STORY NUMBER TWO

World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Navy Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare, a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific.  One day his squadron was sent on a mission.  After he was airborne, Butch looked at his fuel gauge and realized the ground crew did not top off his fuel tank.  He knew he would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and return to his ship.  Butch’s flight leader ordered Butch to return to the carrier. Reluctantly, Butch dropped out of formation and headed back to the fleet.

On returning to the fleet, Butch saw in the distance a squadron of Japanese aircraft heading toward the fleet.  Since the fleet’s fighters were all out on their missions, the fleet was now virtually defenseless.  Butch was unable to raise his squadron leader on the radio to bring them back in time to save the fleet.  There was only one thing for Butch do … he had to stop the Japanese planes from attacking the fleet.

Without hesitation or regard to his personal safety, Butch dove into the formation of enemy aircraft; with his wing-mounted 50 caliber's guns he blazed in, attacking one surprised aircraft after 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.

Even though his ammo was gone, Butch continued his assault by diving at planes, trying to clip a wing or hit a tail in hopes of damaging them and rendering them unfit to fly. Totally exasperated, the remaining Japanese aircraft headed home and Butch perished in the ocean.

Butch’s home town vowed not to allow the memory of this WWII hero to fade from their memory.  They named their city airport after him.  The City of Chicago decided to pay tribute to its courageous native son.

So for all you travelers who fly in or out of Chicago's O'hare airport here is my recommendation:  The next time you find yourself waiting for a flight at O'Hare Airport, give some serious thought to visiting Butch’s memorial.  Take a look at his statue and his Medal of Honor he earned.  It is located between Terminals 1 and 2.

YOU MAY BE ASKING --- GABE WHAT THE HELL DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE IN COMMON?

Butch “Edward” O'Hare - the World War II Hero was "Easy Eddie's" son.