This is a story about two men. The first man's name is Butchell (Butch) O'Hare. He became a Naval pilot, learning aerial combat, night carrier landings and gunnery May 1940. December 8th, 1941 Butch's squadron left for Pearl Harbor.

He was soon transferred to the USS Lexington, January, as the Japanese stormed Rabaul, several hundred miles north-east of Australia. Butch's squadron, the Lexington Wildcats, and the Lexington became part of a task force commanded by Vice Adm. Wilson Brown. Orders were for them to leave Pearl Harbor, cross the equator into the S. Pacific and attack the Japanese.

February 20, at 2PM, the Japanese commander at Rabaul launched 17 land-based Mitsubishi bombers, nick-named "Betty's", in two waves.  The Wildcats shot down all nine Betty's in the first wave.

Butch and his wingman, Duff Dufilho, watched the aerial battle as they climbed to combat altitude.

Then they learned that there were a second wave of "Betty's" and realized that they were the only American fighters positioned to attack. The first squadron was too far ahead to intercept.  It was now up to Butch and his wingman. They charged their machine guns and attempted some test fire. Duff's guns were jammed. Only Butch's guns were operational! The Japanese, flying in V formation, were minutes from dropping their bombs on the Lexington.

Butch let the lead bombers pass, and then took aim at the last two. He fired and watched the first, then the second, spiral into the ocean. Coming in from behind, he single-handedly gunned down five of the eight Japanese bombers in less than four minutes.

By this time, the first squadron had time to return and finish the job. Butch was front-page news throughout the U.S. at a time when all other news was bad.

In April of 1942, Butch and his wife Rita were ushered into President Roosevelt's office where Butch was promoted to lieutenant commander and awarded the Medal of Honor. Headlines after a parade in St. Louis read "60,000 Give O'Hare a Hero's Welcome." Chicago's O'Hare International Airport was named after him.

The second man went by the name of "Easy Eddie," Al Capone's personal lawyer. He made sure that Capone's alibis were airtight.  He was very good at his job. He lavishly took care of his family moving them into a new house complete with swimming pool and a skating rink.  But one day, Easy Eddie decided that for once, he was going to do something good for his children.

In 1930, at the Missouri Athletic Club, he met with IRS agent Frank Wilson. Wilson led a group of IRS agents that worked for Eliot Ness at the Justice Department known as the "Untouchables."  In August of 1933, Capone was convicted of tax evasion and sent to Alcatraz Island where he remained  incarcerated until January 1939.

On November 8, 1939, while driving home, two men speeding past him with a shotgun killed Easy Eddie.  It would seem that these two men have very little in common.

One lived a crooked mile for most of his life, not really all that concerned with the welfare of others, while the other man sacrificed for his safety, his very life for our country and became a National Hero.  What could these two men possible have in common?

"Easy Eddie," Ej O'Hare, Was Butchell O'Hare's Father.

Though most of his decisions "Easy Eddie" made were for his own benefit, he had enough love and forethought to make ONE right decision and that decision would instill the right set of values in his children. One seed, the right seed, was planted in one selfless act.  And EJ O'Hare became one son's hero.

IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO DO THE RIGHT THING!

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