Call to Decision

     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 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.

     Eddie lived the high life o f 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 testifi ed.

     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 i n
the South P acific.

     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 calibers 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
and 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 surroundi ng 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.