NJFBOA - Home of New Jersey's Camaros and Firebirds - These 2 True stories will make you think --

>Two Good Stories
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>STORY NUMBER ONE
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>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.
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>Capone had a lawyer nicknamed "Easy Eddie." He was his 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.
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>To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well. Not only was the money >big, but also, Eddie got special dividends. 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.
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>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.
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>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 could not give his son; he could not
>pass on a good name or a good example.
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>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.
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>To do this, he would have to testify against The Mob, and he knew that the >cost would be great. So, he testified.
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>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.
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>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.
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>STORY NUMBER TWO < BR>>
>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.
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>After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that >someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank .
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>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.
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>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 American fleet. The American fighters were gone on a sortie, and the >fleet was all but defenseless. He could not reach his squadron and bring
>them back in time to save thefleet. Nor could he warn the fleet of the >approaching danger.
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>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.
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>Wing-mounted 50 caliber's blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised >enemy plane and then another.
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>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.
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>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 and >rendering them unfit to fly. Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron >took off in another direction.
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>Deeply relieved, Butch O'Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the >carrier.
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>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.
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>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.
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>A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29.
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>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.
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>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.
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>It is located between Terminals 1 and 2.
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>SO WHAT DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH EACH OTHER?
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>Butch O'Hare was "Easy Eddie's" son.
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