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".

IS IT OKAY TO LIE?

Two elderly men were admitted to a long-term care facility and just by chance were assigned to share a room.  One had been involved in a car accident and suffered extensive internal injuries and was not expected live; the other had advanced heart disease and had undergone triple bypass surgery and had a 30% chance of recovery. 

The accident victim lost his sight and was restricted to his bed.  The heart patient however was required to get out of bed at at 10: 45 each day and walk around the room. So on that first day just before lunch the heart patient painfully placed his feet on the floor. 

As soon the blind patient heard his roommate out of his bed he asked, "Would you do me a favor and go to the window and look outside?  Please tell me all the wonderful things you see."  The heart patient slowly walked toward the window, pulled back the blinds and related the sights he saw. He'd describe the birds and animals playing across the street in the city park then to the delight of his roommate he described all the people walking down the street.

On the second day, the heart patient, while looking out the window noticed the strange actions of a young man who was sitting on the rim of beautiful water fountain not far from an attractive young lady eating her lunch on a park bench.

The next day the heart patient could see the young man on the fountain sat a little closer and it was obvious the woman noticed.  Soon they were engaging in conversations.  On the fourth day the heart patient saw the couple sharing their lunches and holding hands; he thought perhaps a relationship was about to start. 

During that night, the heart patient unexpectedly died from complications and his personal possessions were quickly removed from the room. Early the next morning a new patient, a young man with a broken arm, was moved in.

As lunch time neared the blind man asked his new roommate if he would go to the window and describe what was taking place outside - he particularly wanted to know about the type of birds in the park and what the young couple having lunch by the fountain were doing. The new roommate hopped out of bed and briskly walked over to the window.

He pulled back the blinds, starred for several seconds then began to laugh uncontrollably. "Why are you laughing?" asked the blind patient. "Because you asked me to tell you what was going on outside our window. Our window faces the side of another building and there is nothing we can see but a solid brick wall. There is nothing of interest out there."

The Best or Worst Government Job? You tell me.

Most Americans know there is monument in Washington DC located in Arlington National Cemetery.  It was erected solely to pay homage to unknown American soldiers who lost their lives in military battles. Most of us refer to this monument as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier or Soldiers; however, its official name, as designated by Congress, is The Tomb of the Unknowns.

To help us better appreciate this monument and the men and women who guard it - everyday- I am sharing and interesting story you might find of value.

During 2003, as Hurricane Isabelle approached the east coast and threatened to devastate Washington, members of the US Senate and US House scurried to evacuate the DC area and for the first time in history the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staffs made a decision to allow the military sentinels assigned to The Tomb of the Unknowns to suspend their duties and evacuate the area as well.

Without hesitation every one of the guards respectfully declined to abandon their posts – they all volunteered to stay and continue to man their posts.

For two days the guards on duty were subjected to hurricane force winds and were pelted relentlessly with rain as they walked their posts ... however, every guard continued to walk his post. Their refusal to suspend their guard duties means The Tomb has been continuously guarded 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, since it was inaugurated in 1930.

Now if you enjoyed this short story, you might find this trivia  regarding The Tomb of the Unknowns of interest as well.

Individuals selected for Tomb Guard Duty must serve a two - year assignment. Before accepting their post, each sentinel swears an oath they will not drink any alcohol on or off duty while serving their assignment.   Military personnel who apply to be a Tomb Guard must be between 5' 10' and 6' 2' tall and have a waist size that does not exceed 30 inches.

Newly assigned guards are required to study and memorize the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. Among the notables interned at Arlington are:

--- President William Taft

--- President John F Kennedy
--- Audie L. Murphy, Medal of Honor winner and the most decorated soldier of WWII

--- Joe Lewis, former heavy weight boxing champ - Sgt US Army

--- Abner Doubleday, Civil War General and founder of American Baseball

--- Lee Marvin, American actor PFC USMC WWII - Purple Heart recipient. 

Each guard is issued a specially designed pair of shoes that has extra thick soles. The thick soles on their shoes prevent their feet from being affected by the heat or cold. In addition, their shoes have metal heel plates that extend all the way to the top of the shoe to ensure a loud, distinctive click when the guards come to a halt

Every guard is required to wear gloves while on duty. Guards wet their gloves before reporting for duty to prevent their hands from losing their grip on the rifle they carry.

Within the Tomb lies one “Unknown” from World War I who was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Three Greek figures adorn the Tomb; one figure represents Peace, another Victory, and the last Valor.

Inscribed on the tomb are these words:

HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY AN AMERICAN SOLDIER KNOWN BUT TO GOD.

Tomb Guards carry M-14 rifles, all with hand-made rifle stocks. The stocks on these weapons were made by Tomb Guards. Each guard is required to clean his rifle daily and keep it ready for use at all times 

Guards take exactly 21 steps to cross The Tomb – the 21 steps symbolize a twenty-one gun salute.   

{The custom of a 21 gun salute stems from a naval tradition. When a warship encountered a friendly vessel it would fire all its cannons harmlessly out to sea, until all canon ammunition was spent. This act showed the ship was disarmed and signified the lack of any hostile intent. As military customs evolved - 21 shots became the norm.}

After walking across the Tomb, guards execute an “about-face” then pause 21 seconds before they begin their return walk back across The Tomb.

Guards always carry their rifles on the shoulder facing away from The Tomb. After they walk across The Tomb and execute an “about-face” – the guards ceremoniously move their rifles to the outside shoulder.

Since 1948, Tomb Guards have been assigned to a special platoon within the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment known as The Old Guard. 

During the winter months Tomb guards change shifts every 60 minutes – during the sweltering summer months Tomb guards change their shifts every 30 minutes.

After Arlington National cemetery closes to the public (7 p.m. to 8 a.m. April through September and 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. October through March); the sentinels continue to walk their posts.  That's right - The Tomb is guarded twenty-four hours a day - 365 days a year.

When a guard successfully completes his initial two-year assignment, he or she is awarded a “special lapel pin” – a small distinct wreath – which they can wear on their military uniform for life.

This small unique “wreath” signifies to all that they served as "A Guard of the Tomb".

Her Name Was Rose ... She Taught Me A Lot

On the first day of class our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone in the room we didn't already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my side. I turned around to find a wrinkled old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being. 

She said, "Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?"

I laughed and enthusiastically responded, "Of course you may!" and she gave me a giant squeeze. 

"Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?" I asked.

She jokingly replied, "I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids..." 

"No seriously," I asked. "I am curious to know what motivated you to be taking on this challenge at your age."

"Well I always dreamed of having a college education and now I am going to get one!" she told me.

After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake. We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months she and I would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this 'time machine' share her wisdom and experiences with me.

Over the course of that semester, Rose became a campus icon as she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students when she was living it up.

At the end of the semester I invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I'll never forget the powerful message she taught us. After she was introduced she stepped up to the podium and suddenly dropped all her neatly arranged three by five cards on the floor.

Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, "I'm sorry; I'm just jittery - I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never be able to get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I think you should know."

As we all laughed she cleared her throat and began -

"We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing.
 

There are only two secrets to staying young, being happy and achieving success.
 

1) You have to laugh and find humor every day.
 

2) You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. There are so many people walking around this world who are dead and don't even know it!

There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. For example, if you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I, at eighty-seven years old,  stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight.

Anybody can grow older - that doesn't take talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding new opportunities in the changes that confront us and to have no regrets.

Most elderly people I know don't have regrets for the things they did; they only have regrets for things they did not do. The only people who fear death are those who have regrets.' 

She then concluded her speech by courageously singing "The Rose." 

She challenged each of us in that banquet hall to study the lyrics of that song and live them out in our daily lives. At the year's end Rose finished all her requirements for a college degree and graduated with her class. She finally received her college diploma. 

Unfortunately, one week after graduation, Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over two thousand college students, faculty members and friends attended her funeral to pay tribute to a wonderful woman who taught by example and showed us it's never too late to be all you can possibly be. 

I learned three powerful things from Rose:

1) Growing older is mandatory - growing up is optional.

2) We make our living by what we get - we make our life by what we give.

3)The only thing God promises us is a safe landing; he never promised a calm voyage. 

Please share with your friends.  Gabe

You Could Have Heard A Pin Drop

Robert Whiting, an elderly American gentleman 83 years old and a retired High School History teacher arrived in Paris by plane with a tour group.  At French Customs, he took several minutes to locate his passport in one of his coat pockets.

"You have been to France before, monsieur?" a French customs officer asked sarcastically.

Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously.

"Then you should know enough to have your passport ready."

Mr. Whiting replied  "The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it."

"Impossible,  French law requires all Americans to have to show their passports on arrival in France!" said the French customs official.

Mr Whiting gave the French Official a long hard look, then, quietly explained, ''Well, when I came ashore in 1944 it was at Omaha Beach on D-Day to help liberate your country.  At that time none of us could not find a single Frenchman to show a passport to."

You could have heard a pin drop.

What a few more "You Could Have Heard a Pin Drop Stories? 

These are all very good short stories that every American government official - Federal, State and Local - should know and remember.  The next time you are criticized for the way you voted - never, ever apologize.

Sit back relax and learn ...

Dean Rusk - President Kennedy's Secretary of State - was in France in the early 60's when President Charles DeGaulle made the decision to pull France out of NATO.  President {Former General} DeGaulle said to Mr. Rusk he wanted all US military out of France as soon as possible.

Mr. Rusk looked him straight in the eyes and responded,  "Does that include those who are buried here as well?"

DeGaulle never responded to Dean Rusk.

You could have heard a pin drop.

While in England, attending a large conference, Colin Powell, as the Secretary, was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans {the American Plans} for Iraq were just another example of  'empire building' by George Bush.

Mr. Powell turned to the Arch Bishop and said,  "Over the years, the United States has sent many of  its finest young men and women into great peril to fight for others freedom beyond our borders.  The only amount of land the United States has ever asked for in return was enough to bury those that could not return."

You could have heard a pin drop.

At another European conference held in France a number of international engineers were in attendance. During one of the morning breaks, a French engineer came running back into the room saying,  "Have you heard the latest dumb stunt the American's are doing?  They are sending an aircraft carrier to Indonesia because of the tsunami.  What do they intend to do, bomb Indonesia?"

A Boeing Aircraft Corporation engineer who was in attendance spoke up and said:  "Every American aircraft carrier has three fully functioning hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people a day;  they are all nuclear powered and can supply unlimited emergency electrical power to critical facilities on shore; they each have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 4,000 people three meals a day, they can produce 72,000 thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters which can be used to transport the injured and any victims to and from their flight deck. 

We Sir, have eleven such ships; said the Boeing Engineer,  how many does France have?"

You could have heard a pin drop.

A few years later a U.S. Navy Admiral attended a naval conference that included Admirals from the U.S., England, Canada, Australia and France. During an evening cocktail reception, the American Admiral found himself standing with a large group of officers. Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks.

One of the French Admirals suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans are content to only learn English.  He then asked,  "Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than French?"

Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied, "Maybe it's because the Brit's, Canadians, Aussie's and Americans arranged it so you and your fellow countrymen wouldn't have to learn to speak German."

You could have heard a pin drop.

The Day Mrs. Thompson Quit Teaching

Mrs. Thompson stood in front of her fifth grade class on the first day of school and told a lie - a big lie.  As she welcomed all her new students she said she would treat them all the same.  But that was not true; because there was one student Mrs Thompson would not treat the same – his name was Teddy Stoddard.

Now the school district had hired Ms. Thompson the year before and she couldn't help but notice Teddy last year.  He was a known problem child.  He had a lousy academic record and did not play well with the other children.  His clothes were always a mess and he looked like he needed a bath and oh what a bad attitude he had.

Consequently, during the beginning of the school year Mrs. Thompson delighted in marking Teddy’s papers with a broad red marker and placing big bold 'X's on all his wrong answers.  She loved putting a large 'F' at the top of his papers so other students could easily see the grade she gave him when she handed out the papers.

The School had a policy that required each teacher review the records of their students during the first week of December.  Mrs. Thompson held off Teddy's file to the last.  When she finally sat down to review his file, she was taken aback.  Teddy’s first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child who does neat work and has excellent classroom manners. He is a joy to have in my class - I will miss him next year."

His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an above average student who is well liked by his classmates. He has been having trouble lately because of his mother’s illness, and life at home has really been a struggle for him." 

His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's recent death has been very hard on Teddy.  He tries hard to do his best, but his father doesn't show much interest in Teddy and his home life is definitely having a negative impact on him."

Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a withdrawn child who does not show much interest in school. He has few friends, often comes to class unprepared, and is frequently disruptive."

Mrs. Thompson was now ashamed of her behavior. She felt even worse a few weeks later when her students brought in their Christmas presents for her.  All were wrapped in holiday paper and tied with ribbons except for one - Teddy's.  It was clumsily wrapped in brown paper from an old grocery bag with no ribbon. 

Mrs. Thompson opened Teddy’s present first. Some children laughed when they saw an old rhinestone bracelet with several stones missing and an old bottle of perfume only 1/4 full; but Mrs. Thompson quickly stifled their laughter by commenting on how beautiful the bracelet was as she put in on.  She then dabbed some perfume on each wrist, inhaled deeply and said it smells wonderful. Thank you Teddy for such wonderful gifts.

Before he left class that afternoon, Teddy walked up to Mrs. Thompson's desk, slowly leaned in and said, "I just want you to know you smell just like my Mom use to."  He then ran out of the room.  When all the other students left, Mrs. Thompson put her head down and cried at her desk. This was the day she vowed to quit teaching. 

Never again would Mrs Thompson teach reading, writing or arithmetic, instead she would start teaching children to enjoy life.
She began by paying attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind became alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded.  By the end of the school year, Teddy was one of the brightest students in her class.  Despite "her lie to treat all students the same," it was obvious Teddy was her pet.  The following year, Teddy transferred to middle school and Mrs. Thompson never saw him again.

Towards the end of the next school year, Mrs. Thompson found a note under her door.  It was a note from Teddy that said - she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.
  

Seven years passed before she received another note.  This time Teddy wrote to tell her he had just finished high school - third in his class - and that he was planning to go to college - and the way Mrs. Thompson, you are still the best teacher I ever had in my whole life.

Four more years went by when a another letter from Teddy arrived.  This one explained he had graduated from college and was now planning on going to medical school in the fall and, by the way Mrs. Thompson  you are still the best teacher I ever had.

Several years passed before another letter arrived.  In this letter, Teddy stated he had met a wonderful woman and they would be getting married in June.  He explained his father died a few years earlier and he was wondering if she, Mrs. Thompson, would agree to sit in the place of honor reserved for the groom's parents at the head table. This letter was signed Theodore J. Stoddard, M.D.

Of course Mrs. Thomson agreed. When she arrived at the plush wedding ceremony she was wearing an old rhinestone bracelet with several rhinestones missing and carried a scent of a perfume that once reminded Teddy of his mother.  Dr. Stoddard immediately came forward and gave her a big hug. As he inhaled the fragrance of her perfume, he whispered in her ear, "Thank you Mrs. Thompson for making me feel so important and thank you for making such a difference in my life."

With tears running down her cheeks, Mrs. Thompson, whispered back, "No Teddy you have it wrong.  I need to thank you for what you taught me. You taught me I actually could make a difference."

How heavy is a glass of water?

Most people would agree the weight of a glass of water doesn't really matter ... what does matter is how long one has to hold a glass of water. 

If one has to hold a glass of water for 30 seconds, its weight would not be a problem; however, if one has to hold a glass of water for an hour, the arm would begin to ache. And finally, if one had to hold a glass of water all day long, that person would probably have to see a doctor the following day.

Since the weight of water in the glass - in the above three examples - remained the same it was actually the length of time one had to hold the glass of water that made the difference.

The same is true for difficult decisions we have to make at work. It's not the level of difficulty that causes us problems - it's the length of time we carry around the thought of ... waiting for the "right time" to make our difficult decisions.

Learn to "make all difficult decisions as soon as you can."  Don't carry around the burden of having to make a difficult decision any longer than you have to.  Make your difficult and tough decisions quickly. 

And don't forget - when you leave a board or council meeting or a public hearing that didn't go as expected, learn to leave your disappointments, dissatisfactions and frustrations at the town hall, village center, city hall, courthouse or school administration building.  You can always pick them up tomorrow when you return to the office.  There's no need to bring them home and burden your family with the weight of the problems you experience on your job. 

The Secret to Professional Success

Over three hundred people made reservations to attend the Chamber of Commerce annual awards meeting. Many brought friends and family members because the keynote speaker scheduled for this event was a wealthy executive who promised to share “The Secret to Professional Success”.   

Even though the luncheon started at noon, by 11:45 a.m. all the chairs and tables in the large banquet room at the Hyatt Hotel were full. As it neared 12:00 p.m., the attendees noticed the featured speaker had not entered the room and was not yet seated at the head table. 

Lunch was promptly served at noon and still there was no speaker at the head table. As the dessert was served many wondered where the speaker could be? Conversations soon began to take place at the various tables. All of a sudden a voice from somewhere in the back of the room yelled out, "Shut up!"

The crowd immediately drew quiet.  Everyone looked around but saw no one so they went back to their desserts and their table conversations.  Soon the same voice shouted,  “SHUT UP!”

Stunned, the entire room became dead silent and everyone sat quietly and sipped on their coffee.  However after a few minutes, again the din of their conversations filled the room.  "SHUT UP," the voice barked again; however this time a diminutive well-dressed man entered the room from a back door and walked slowly to the front of the room and stood behind the podium.

Once behind the podium, he leaned into the microphone and said, “Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen.  I am your speaker.  I understand many of you are here this afternoon to learn the most 'powerful' secret to professional success.

I assure you the secret I will share with you this afternoon will help you tremendously in becoming a great success in your profession whether it be in business or government. 

The secret is simple and every great person understands; however most people find it difficult to employ. For the record, I have already shared this secret with you and I have shared it with you three times.  The secret I am referring to is to Shut Up.

When you Shut Up and let other people talk, you learn.  You hear their problems, you learn their dreams and you understand their concerns. When you Shut Up, you discover ways you can be of value to others and when you Shut Up you can learn ways to help others.  When you Shut Up, you begin to have professional success no matter what endeavor you pursue or what role you play in your organization.

So my advice to all of you if you want to be a success - Shut Up and Listen."

A Flight To Remember

The picture of the C-130A Hercules below was the 126th C-130 aircraft built by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation of Marietta, Georgia. It was accepted into the Air Force inventory on August 23, 1957. 

On November 2, 1972, this aircraft was given to the South Vietnamese Government (Air Force) as part of the US Military Assistance Program.

On April 29, 1975, this C-130 was the last aircraft to fly out of South Vietnam before Saigon fell. As over 100 aircraft laid destroyed on the flight line at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, some of them still burning, this was the last flyable C-130 remaining on the Air Base. In a very panicked state, hundreds of people rushed to get aboard it, as this aircraft represented their only option to freedom.

People hurriedly crowded into this aircraft, packing in it tighter and tighter. Eventually, the load master informed the pilot, Major Phuong, a South Vietnamese instructor pilot, that he could not get the rear ramp doors closed due to the number of people who were standing on it. In a moment of inspiration, Major Phuong began to taxi the aircraft forward, slow at first - then faster.  All of a suddenly he slammed on the brakes. The load master immediately called forward stating he had just successfully closed the rear ramp doors.

In all, 452 people were able to get on board this aircraft, 32 of them had to crowd in the cockpit. US Air Force officials, using a conservative estimate of 100 pounds per person, believe this aircraft was overloaded by at least 10,000 pounds. Consequently, this C-130 had to use every bit of the runway and even the entire overrun before it was able to get lift and go airborne.

It's destination was Bangkok, Thailand, which should have been an easy 1 hour and 20 minute flight, but after an hour and a half, the aircraft was still lumbering over the Gulf of Slam and running low on fuel. A map on the aircraft was located and the crew was able to identify some terrain features and were thus able to navigate by sight and land the plane at Utapao, Air Base, Thailand, after a three and a half hour flight.

Ground personnel on Utapao Air Base were shocked at what "fell out" when they opened the aircraft doors. It was clear to everyone observing that a longer flight would have resulted in significant loss of life for many of the passengers. In the end, however, all 452 evacuees on this plane made it to freedom aboard this historic C-130.

The aircraft was reclaimed by the United States Air Force over the next 14 years and assigned to two different Air National Guard units. 

On June 28, 1989, this aircraft made its final flight. It flew to Arkansas where it sits today placed on permanent display for all to see. 

THE NEXT TIME YOU DRIVE THROUGH ARKANSAS, YOU MAY WANT TO DRIVE PAST THE FRONT GATE OF LITTLE ROCK AFB, (ARKANSAS) AND STOP FOR A MOMENT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS HISTORIC AIRCRAFT.

What’s the Difference between Rich and Poor?

One day, the father of a very wealthy family decided to teach his son a valuable lesson about life. His plan was to take his son on a weekend trip to visit an old friend who lived with his family out in the country. The father wanted his son to see firsthand how poor people actually live in America. 

 

On their ride home on Sunday evening the father looked over at his son and asked, “Well son, how was the trip? Did you learn anything this weekend?” 

“The trip was great Dad.  I loved it and all the people we met were so nice,” replied the son. 

“Well did you see how those people in the country live?” asked the father?

“Oh yes,” said the son.


“So tell me, what did you learn from the trip?” the father asked. 

The son replied, “I saw that we have one dog and they have four. I saw that we have a swimming pool that reaches to the middle of our backyard and they have a creek that has no end. When we sit on our patio at night we look at the light flickering from those imported brass lanterns Mom bought, but when they sit on their porch at night they look up at the stars and study them.

We live on a small lot of land, but they have fields that go beyond sight. When we look out across our lawn we see green grass and other houses; when they look out their windows they can see the whole horizon. We have servants who serve us, but they enjoy serving each other. We buy our food at the grocery store, but they grow their own.  You built a large metal fence around out property to protect us, but they have all kind of friends who protect them.” 

The boy’s father was speechless.

Then adding insult to his father’s injury the son added, “Thanks Dad so much for showing me how poor we really are.  I really learned a lot today."